
aass_±_i£L^_ 
Book f\S& 



QJr 



tH«^ 



MYSTERIES OF WASHINGTON CITY, 



3%^ 



3ii/l^ 



DURING SEVERAL MONTHS OP THE 



SESSION OF THE 28tli CONGRESS. 



' TBy^xJitizcif^f Ohio. 



■^ 



PRINTED BY G. A. SAGE, E STREET; NEAR NIXTJl" 



1844. 



"J'ntpred noconling 1<> the act of Congress in llie ofllcc of tlic clrik of llio 
District Court of tin* Disirict of Colinii1)in. by Cat.f.r Atwatkt^. in tlif > ''in 






l>Bl>I€AT10i\. 



To the Meiiibers of the tweuty-eightli 
Congress, Senators, Representatives and 
their otlicers, this little volume is re- 
s])ectiiilly dedicated, as a small token of 
jiigh regard for them/ as officers of the 
i^overjunent of the United States, and as 
jnen, doNoted to tlie best interests of their 
country. l)y tlieir old friend and fellow 
citizen, 

THE AUTHOR. 



) 



PREFACE. 



This small volume is the first of a series, 
which the author proposes to write for the 
amusement, and he hopes, for the informa- 
tion of his countrymen. This is " Myste- 
ries," the next will be '' Humbugs of Wash- 
ington city" and the third volume if deemed 
necessary, to reform the public morals, will 
be " the crimes of Washington city." Who- 
ever reads this little work, will find in it no 
malice, nor even ill will towards individu- 
als, whom the author wishes to reform, not 
to destroy, by exposing vice and recom- 
mending virtue in its loveliness and beau- 
ty. He is happy to be able to say, that the 
people of this district have been growing 



VI 



PREFACE. 



better during twenty years past. Several 
of the Departments, perhaps all of them, 
are better conducted than formerly. There 
ik m them a better system. We refer more 
especially to the Treasury Department — 
the General Land Office and the Depart- 
ment of the General Post Office. The State 
Department is and always was well enough. 
Al[ p£i#.tt^spirit has been carefully avoided 
"in writing this little book. Feeling no ill 
will towards any one, for opinion's sake, 
the author has expressed none towards the 
good men ^vith whom he has freely asso- 
ciated during several months past. Treated 
kindly himself by men of all parties, he has 
endeavored to treat them as they have 
treated him, during this protracted session 
of Congress. In his 7iext volume he propo- 
ses to describe the Patent Office, the War 
Office and the Navy Department. He 
liopes to be able soon to begin liis visits to 



PREFACE. • I 



them, and continue his visits until he un- 
derstands fully what is in those depart- 
ments, so that the people can learn correct- 
ly whether common report he true or false^ 
respecting them. The Indian bureau wjrf^l 

BE EXAMINED. 

Errors in this first edition of an original 
work could not be avoided, and the reader, 
it is hoped, will correct them as he reads 
the work the first time. Unless this volume 
is soon sold, his next work, ''The Hu3I- 
BUGs" will he put to the press when Con- 
gress rises. The author will take off his 
gloves wlien he writes that volume during 
tlie dog-days. 

The reader's humble servant, 
THE AUTHOR. 

WASHLXGTON CITY, June 1st, 1844. 



TABLE OF CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER I. 

Journey la Washington City.— A day at Wheeling, in Virginia.— Ride to 
Cumberland over the Alleghany mountains. — Extremely cold weather in 
a crowded Stage. — Arrival at Cumberland two hours too late to lake the 
Rail- road cars to Baltimore, through the management of stage drivers and 
tavern keepers, on the route.— Arrival at Washington City on New 
Year's day.— Reflections on the change in every thing, in the city, sinc« 
that day fourteen years. — Interviews with the President, Major AVilliam 
B. Lewis, Governor Woodbury, and many old friends, at Mrs. Hamilton'*, 
on Pennsylvania Avenue.— Biographical Sketch of Levi Woodbury, 

CHAPTER H: 

Journey from Washington to Philadelphia. — A day at Philadelphia. — Jour- 
ney to New^ York on the rail-road. — Stop on Broadway. — A dinner con- 
sisting of ice water and one mouthful of roast beef !— Bill of fare, but no 
fare. — Thefts and burglary. — Broadstreet Hotel corner of Broad and Pearl 
streets.— Fare excellent, but no bill of fare on the table at dinner.— 
Charles A. Clinton and Dr. Hosack. — Mrs. Lentners on Amity stree t- 
where Colonel Trumbull lived and died. — Albert Gallatin and his lady on 
Beekman street. — Mr. Gallatin's eventful life. — How employed in the stu- 
dy of Indian languages. — His inquiries concerning his old friends in the 
District of Columbia. — Their feeling towards him and Mrs. Gallatin, and 
the comparisons they are now daily compelled to make.— The trade of 
New York city, its vast amount and probable increase, which will eventu- 
ally render it the greatest commercial emporium in the world. — Rail-road 
to the Pacific ocean and a fair prospect of its connecting our Atlantic ci- 
ties with China and the Pacific islands, by means of rail-roads and steam, 
vessels.— The future wealth, grandeur and moral glory of this republi c— 



/ 



/ 



■v CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER III. 

Return to Washington. — The diflerent degrees of temperature in the atmo- 
sphere at difterent places seen in the thickness of the ice in the rivers from 
New York to Washington inclusive. — Long interview with the President. 
His mislbrtLines rather than his faults. — His cheerfulness, and his views 
as to Liberia.— Supernumeraries ought to be set to work and sent oft'. — 
Beautiful situation of Washington. — The Congress library, its officers and 
the agreeable company usually in the library room. — Army of little o/li- 
cers in and about the capitol. — Judge Upshur, personal acquaintance 
with him, his character and death. — The tragedy on board the Princeton. 
— Great funeral and a whole city in tears for the loss of so many distin- 
guished citizens. 

CHAPTER IV. 

Mr. Dana's speech against the military Academy. — Objections — it is an ar- 
istocratic institution. — 1st in its selection of candidates — 2nd in its mono- 
poly of military commissions. — Its expenses are enormous and wholly 
disproportioned to any advantages to be derived from it. — Its positive 
evils, as it operates on the officers and on the private soldiers. — Mr. 
Dana might have added, that if this republic is in danger from any quar- 
ter, its danger lies in this institution. 

CHAPTER V. 

This chapter is serious, grave, gay and mysterious. — Good advice to Uncle 
Sam. — A dream which clears up the mystery of beards and mustaches, 
and accounts for some things, but cannot account for others, until the auth- 
or dreams again; perhaps not even then I — Inquiries and doubts, not an- 
swered or solved in this chapter. 

CHAPTER VL 

Officers of both houses of Congress. — Vice President IMangum. — Speaker 
Jones. — Members of Congress, their labors and unenviable slate. — Elo- 
quence of members. — Senators Choate, Crittenden, Morehead, &c. &c.— 
The Tariff, Oregon and Texas to go down to the foot of the docket and hi 
postponed until next session of our honorable court. 



CONTENTS. -J. j 

CHAPTER VII. 

Visit to Mr.^Calhouii, Secretary of Slate. — Alexandria, its early history. — 
Reraiuisenccs of General Washington. — Memoir of Mr. Antliony Charles 
Cazenove ; a most interesting tale. — He ^vas the old partner of Albert Gal- 
latin, at New Geneva, Pennsylvania. 

CHAPTER VIII. 

Officers of the government. — Remarks on the permanency of the seat of go- 
vernment. — No authority in the constitution to remove it.— Monomaniacs, 
one who fancies himself in paradise ! and the other expects to be elected 
the next president I— Other monomaniacs equally crazy,— -Local I>:for- 

MAT10.\, 






CHAPTER 1. 

-Journey to Washington City.— A day at Wheeling, in Virginia.— Ride t» 
Cumberland over tlie Alleglieny mountain.— Extremely cold weatlier in 
a crowded Stage.— Arrival at Cumberland two hours too late to take Ihr, 
Rail-road cars to Baltimore, through the management of stage drivers and 
tavern keepers, on the route.— Arrival at Washington City on New 
Year's day.— Reflections on the change in every tiling, in the city, since 
that day fourteen years.— Interviews with the President, Major William 
13. Lewis, Governor AVoodijury, and many old friends, at Mrs. Hamilton's, 
on Pennsylvania Avenue.— Biographical Sketch of Levi Woodbury. 

Leaving Columbus, the seat of govern- 
ment, in the State of Ohio, on the morning 
of the twenty-sixth of November, in the 
stage, in company with six or seven pas- 
sengers, we arrived at Wheelino- in Vir^i- 
nia, in exactly twenty-four hours. The 
distance is somewhat over one hundred and 
thirty miles. We passed over the National 
road, then in a good condition for trayelhng 
on it. Stopping at the Virginia Hotel in 
Wheeling, we ascertained that we were 
too late for the stage that would pass over 
1 



14 



TOUR TO WASHINGTON, D. C. 



the road to Cumberland, in season for the 
rail-road cars next morning; and so we 
concluded to tarry where we were, until 
next day. Pvcsting ourselves here that day, 
and laying by sleep enough for the route 
between Wheeling and Cumberland, we 
took an early start the next morning, and 
passed over the Alleghanies during the 
vsucceeding night. We travelled some fifty 
miles or upwards on the ridge of that moun- 
tain, which is four thousand feet above the 
ocean, and on one point it is nearly, if not 
quite, five thousand feet in height. It was 
extremely cold, and the snow was several 
inches in depth. The cracks in the doors 
and windows of the stage, admitted the 
piercing cold more freely than we could 
have wished. We were nine in number, 
and were quite incommoded and uncom- 
fortably stowed away. The stage driver 
insisted on stopping at every tavern, that 
we passed, almost, during the night, and 
the tavern keepers themselves were quite 
importunate, and strove to induce us to stop 



TOUR TO WASHINGTON, D. C. 



1 



jind warm ourselves by their large coal fires 
in their bar-rooms. 

These arts of stage drivers and tavern 
keepers combined, detained us so long, not- 
withstanding all our exertions to prevent ii, 
that they produced the effect which it was 
intended to produce : we arrived at Cum- 
berland, in Maryland, about two hours too 
late for the cars that day, and so we were 
detained at that town until next morning. 
If the tavern keepers at Wheeling and Cum- 
berJand could be believed, though we had 
our doubts, they were excessively offended 
.'it all who Vv^ere concerned in delaying us 
on our route, viz.: the stage agent at Wheel- 
ing, and the drivers and tavern-keepers on 
the mountain, from the top of Laurel Hill, 
lo Frostburgh inclusive. On the last day 
of December, 1843, we left Cumberland 
earl)^ in the morning, and in ten hours we 
were safely landed in Baltimore, passing 
over one hundred and eighty miles of rail- 
road in that period of time. For such a 
distance, of continuous rail-road, this is a 



1 a TOUR TO WASHINGTON, D. C. 

most excellent road, and the ride is a verv 
pleasant one. Our stoppages were neither 
numerous nor did we tarry long at any one 
place. At Harper's Ferry w^e stopped to 
dine, but prefering to take our refreshment 
in the cars, we were gratified in that way, 
thereby saving one-half the expense and 
one-half the usual time of tarrying here to 
take a regular dinner. The towns through 
which we passed, between Cumberland and 
Baltimore, are small ones, but are improv- 
ing in appearance. In Baltimore I stopped 
at Bradshaw's, near the depot, and there 
found a good, comfortable room, a good 
bed, and good breakfast for one dollar. 
Leaving Baltimore in the cars at 8 o'clock, 
A. M., we reached V/ashington city, at 10 
o'clock, in the morning, on New Year's day. 
1 had expected to have seen, at least, one 
Imndred thousand people in Pennsylvania 
Avenue, on New Year's day, as I^saw, on 
that day fourteen years before. Now, I 
saw no crowd, no bustle, and heard no 
noise, and saw no stir. There was, how- 



TOUR TO WASHINGTON, D. C- yY 

ever, as I learned at supper from some 
clerks who boarded where I put up, a levee 
of clerks and otEcers, who were dependants 
on the heads of Departments, and they call- 
ed it "a crowd" of officers and office seek- 
ers ? The nation had increased iw numbers, 
greatly, since 1830, but only one thousand 
officers attended at the White house that 
day, wdiereasone hundred thousand people 
thronged the Avenue fourteen years before ! 
Such was my impression from what I saw 
and heard that day. The change was strik- 
ing, and told the different feelings of the 
people towards the Captain, from those for- 
merly evinced towards the old General. I 
leave it to the reader to decide on the cause, 
but the fact made an impression at the time, 
and forced the comparison on my own mind, 
on the first day of the year 1844. Both days, 
that is, the first clay of January 1830, and 
New Year's day 1844, were equally fair, 
and the Avenue was now in a better con- 
dition than formerly, made so, at a large ex- 
pense, by the nation. The officers of the 



13 TOUR TO WASHINGTON, D. C. 

government had doubled in numbers around 
the Chief Magistrate, but the people were 
not here now. 

I had been absent from the city ever 
since early in August 1832, and it had un- 
dergone a change in its exterior appearance, 
in the mean time, of some magnitude. Its 
vacant lots had been built on, in many pla- 
ces; old buildings had been removed, and 
new ones, many of them large and elegant 
ones, had been erected in their stead; The 
improvements about the public buildings : 
the Capitol, the War office, the President's 
house, &c., were considerable, and had cost 
the nation large sums of money. Besides 
these improvements, a new^ building of 
large dimensions had been built instead of 
the old Post Office, that fire had destroyed, 
since I had been here. A new Patent Of- 
fice, of dimensions quite too large for any 
use to which the nation ought to devote it, 
had been built. The structure of this 
building seemed to me, to be such, that it 
will fall down in a few years. A new Trea- 



TOUR TO WASHINGTON, D. C. JC) 

sury Office of vast dimensions, had also been 
built, since I had visited the city. Wash- 
ington had now assumed more of a city-like 
aspect, instead of its old one, of a long strag- 
gling village. More churches had been 
built, in various parts of the city, and no dis- 
gusting sights of beggars and prostitutes met 
the eye. These circumstances added much 
to my satisfaction on my first day's visit to 
the seat of Government. I met and shook 
hands with many old friends, residing either 
here or in Georgetown. Washington no 
longer presents the outside of vice, and that 
circumstance speaks highly of those, who 
have so zealously laboured to improve 
the morals, and mend the hearts, of the 
great mass of the citizens. Their labors 
must have been great, otherwise such suc- 
cess v/ould not have followed their w^orks. 
I attended, afterwards, divine service in 
several of their churches in the city, and 
once in the Episcopal church, with General 
Archibald Henderson's family, at the Navy 
Yard, but I always found good preaching,. 



OQ TOUR TO WASHINGTON, D. C 

and orderly, and even devout congrega- 
tions attending church. In the streets' of 
the city, I have never seen an intoxicated 
person, vrhereas, twelve years since, I have 
seen fifty such sights in a day. Many of 
them were Members of Congress! Durino- 
this long visit of several months, constantly 
visiting all the public places, I have not 
seen one Member of Congress, either in- 
toxicated or in any wise misbehaving him- 
self, on any occasion. 

There may be vice here, but it no longer 
exhibits its disgusting front in public, and 
I have not sought for it, nor wished to find 
}t. It is true, the passengers see signs in 
several places on the Avenue, with the 
words - BILLIARDS," or " BILLIARD SA< 
LOON," printed on them, but otherAvise, 
the stranger ivould not know without inqui- 
ry, wdiere the gamblers resort for gaining 
what they call an "honest livelihood." The 
reflections I drew from such premises, assure 
me of an improved state of morals, in the 
nation itself, in many respects. We may 



TOUR TO WASHINGTON, D. C. 21 

hope that moral feelings and moral prhici- 
ples, will one day govern this great Re- 
public, through its representatives, in our 
legislative assemblies. 

Let us hope, too, that the day is not far 
off, when our highest officers, civil, naval, 
and mihtary, will be sober, honest, and 
moral men. Many, perhaps all, or nearly 
all, of our ojder officers are such men even 
now — such men as General Henderson, Col. 
Abert, General Bomford, General Gibson, 
Col. Totten, General Towson, Maj. Lewis, 
Judge Blake, M. St. Clair Clarke, and many 
others, are such men now. The high re- 
spect in which these men are held by all 
w^ho know them, ^vill have a .wod effect 
on all their subordinates. The low estima- 
tion, likewise, in which men in high places, 
of an opposite character, are held here and 
elsewhere, will produce its good effects also. 
They stand out as beacons on the ocean of 
life, to warn off every mariner from such an 
iron bound coast, 'i he success which has 
always attended the sons and daughters of 



22 TOUR TO WASHINGTON, D. C. 

such good men, and the total ruin which 
has followed, and overwhelmed the chil- 
dren of wicked officers of government, 
teach the same lessons of prudence, wisdom,' 
and virtue. 

It argues but poorly in favor of an aristo- 
cracy in this country, to see, in the offices, 
as minor clerks, the sons of highly respect- 
able fathers, unless it be in cases'^ where a 
man with a family is reduced by misfor- 
tunes and losses, by untoward events, 
without any fault of his; or he may have 
been a literary man, like William Darby. 
In such a case, the government may, on the 
purest principles of morals, give such a man 
some easy place as a shelter in his old age. 
Such an act ought to rescue such a head'^of 
department from oblivion. Judge Blake de- 
serves and receives his reward in the good 
opinion of all good men. 

Speaking of clerks, it is to be regretted 
that the young men of this district should, 
early in hfe, accept of a clerkship, instead 
of setting out at once for themselves, where- 



TOUR TO WASHINGTON, D. C. 2>> 

by they can be more independent and have 
abetter prospect of rising in the world as 
respectable men and useful ones too, than 
a clerkship can ever afford them. I was 
told that it was no very uncommon sight to 
see in a day one hundred such young men 
in office hours, walking the streets, stand- 
ino- in refectories, drinking spirits, or loung- 
inP- about the lobbies of the two houses, or 
sauntering about the rotundo with an um- 
brella over their heads, leading about some 
female friend! I was told also, that while 
these loafers were thus engaged, the older 
clerks and older men with families to sup- 
port, were over worked in their several ol- 
fices'. One hundred such clerks with high 
salaries, (often the highest ones) ought to be 
dismissed in a day, and substitutes found m 
the western states, who have almost nothing 
here in the departments. Such a state ot 
things would sink any administration in the 
estimation of all the West. 

I give this story for what it is worth, and 
for the sake of unity, in relation to the ap- 



24 '^^UR TO WASHINGTON, D. C. 

pointn^ent of clerks, whose residence is in 
the District, we relate here another anec- 
dote, which, in order of time belongs to a 
more recent era than the early part of our 
present visit. On the morning of the day 
when Messrs. Gilmer and Wilidns were no- 
minated to the Senate, for the purpose of 
getting those nominations made that day, 
I called at the White House V'Cry early in 
the morning, and being the first on the spot 
by half an hour, the President, in accord- 
ance with his usual politeness towards me, 
directed the messenger to give to me, as 
the first one that morning whom he vt^ould 
see, the key of the door that led to the 
President's room, up stairs. I took the key 
and opened the door, putting my hand 
against the door case to prevent an ugly old 
woman getting ahead of me, on my way 
to see the President; but the old lady 
stooping under my arm and running beforie 

me, cried out aloud, ^'W ought to 

be clerk, W ought to be clerk." She 

kept before me, running a race, thus pro- 



TOUR TO WASHINGTON, D. C. 25 

claiming, at the top of her voice, until she 
reached the President's room, where vseat- 
ino' herself without leave or licence, she 
continued her clamor for some minutes. — ■ 
Finally, linding no opportunity to he alone 
with the Chief Magistrate, I opened to him 
my business, notwithstanding the presence 
of this old witch of Endor. She declared 
that "although they had lived in the Dis- 
trict almost one whole year, yet during all 
that long period they had procured no office 
yet." They had kept boarders, for which 
they had received only thirteen dollars a 
week for each boarder! They had been 
compelled, it seems, to hire a man at ten 
dollars a month, to wait on the boarders ! 
vet neither her husband nor her son-in-law 
had received any office yet.'' Hearing that 
two Secretaries were to be nominated that 
day, she modestly insisted on "her hus- 
band's beinsr a clerk under one of them." 

CD 

The President told her, "that he had no- 
thing to do. with such appointments, v^hicli 
he left to the Secretaries to make." It 




TOUR TO WASHINGTON, D. C. 



s^ekis, from tiie best information I could 
obtain, that women, belonging to this Dis- 
trict, and parts of Maryland and Virginia 
near AVashington, come here^ constantly 
soliciting offices for their sons, husbands 
and other relatives. That they have often 
succeeded, is evident enough to the public 
injury, and to the injury of the public offi- 
cers themselves. Were the same rules 
adopted now, that Jefferson and Madison 
adhered to formerly, a vast deal of person- 
al inconvenience to the President would be 
avoided. The Presidents, to whom J have 
referred, required that all applications for 
offices should be made in writing. If the 
office was derived from the President and 
Senate, the application had to be made to 
the President; but if the office applied for 
came from a Secretary, then he only was 
addressed, but it must be in writing. A 
story has been for some time past running 
around the whole Union, during the last 
year, in relation to the appointment of a 
clerk. The tale itself is derived, we pre- 



TOUR TO WASHINGTON, D. C. g-J? 

sume, from some officer here, yet is doubt- 
less wholly untrue. Could that officer be 
])eliev^ed, a woman, residing in or near the 
District, frequently called to see the Pre- 
sident, in order to get her husband appoint- 
ed a clerk. After many vain attempts to 
accomplish her wishes, she is represented 
as having succeeded at last by informing the 
Chief Mai^istrate, "that her husband was 
entirely helpless in his bed from, sickness, 
and that she and her children must come 
to want unless her husband was appointed 
a clerk !" 

Having recounted my first impressions 
on my arrival here, I proceed in my personal 
narrative. On the next day, early in the 
forenoon of January second, I called on my 
old friend. Major William B. Lewis, Second 
Auditor, located in the War Office build- 
ing, whom I found disengaged. After a 
few minutes' conversation, he began to tell 
me about how my business had been treat- 
ed in the War Office, by the late Secretary 
of War and the present Commissioner of 



QO TOUR TO WASHINGTON, D. C. 

Indian Affairs. He spoke an hour, in whicli 
time he entirely acquitted President Tyler 
of all participation in the oppression, of 
which I had been the object. I had been 
informed quite the reverse by our delega- 
tion, on the authority of the men, who were 
the only authors of all the injustice which 
had been done to me. On the next day 1 
saw the man who had wronged me; and 
although I did not ev^n allude to his con- 
duct towards me, I became entirely satis- 
fied of his guilt, and so made up my mind 
accordingly. The next step required me, 1 
thought, to make the proper apology to an 
injured man, injured by his worst enemies, 
who pretended to be his best friends. On 
the first day that I called to see the Presi- 
dent, the members of Congress occupied 
the President's time so long, that I coul^^ 
not see him that day. I called again ne: 
day, and through the friendship of Judgr- 
French of Kentucky, who spoke to th^- 
western members then waiting to see thv 
President, and more especially through th«' 



TOUR TO WASHINGTON, D. C. 9Q 

aid of the Hon. T. Jefferson Henley of Indi- 
ana, I saw the President and conversed 
with him about my claim. Mr. Henley lived 
opposite Louisville, (when at home,) on 
the Ohio river. He represented a part of 
Indiana with w hich I was formerly w^ell ac- 
quainted. He stood by me, and insisted on 
the President seeing me and conversing 
with me on my business. The President 
came out of his room to see me, instead of 
inviting me into his room. He seemed not 
to know w^hat had been done, and he re- 
ferred me to Maj. Lewis for information; 
but as the Auditor could not originate an 
account, and, in as much too, as the then 
Secretary of War, I w^ell knew, could not 
pass the Senate, I preferred deferring my 
business until another Secretary of War had 
been appointed. I therefore deferred the 
presentation of any claim until a future day. 
Walking along the avenue towards Gads- 
by's, I heard a loud voice behind me, and 
turning around, I saw following me, with a 
quick step, Levi Woodbury, now a Senator 
2 



30 



TOUR TO WASHINGTON, D. C. 



from New Hampshire, formerly a Secretary, 
first of the Naval, next of the Treasury de- 
partment. I was happy, indeed, to meet 
such an old friend, after a separation of 
more than eleven years' continuance. He 
was in the best health and spirits, and ex- 
acted a promise from me, that I would spend 
that evening with him and his family, at 
Mrs. Hamilton's, on the avenue. At early 
candle light I went to see him, but, in ad- 
dition to his family, I found there a large 
number of old friends, members of Congress 
and others. It was a most agreeable meet- 
ing of old friends, who had once been the 
supporters of General Jackson. Old scenes 
were recalled to our minds, and all were 
very happy for the time being. Gov. Hill 
of New Hampshire, was the only one who 
did not laugh heartily on that occasion. His 
nomination for some little office was before 
the Senate for confirmation, and his fears, 
if he had any, were well founded, because 
his nomination was not confirmed, but re- 
jected not long afterwards by the Senate. 



TOUR TO WASHINGTON, D. C. 0| 

Among the ladies present, were Mrs. Wood- 
bury and her three daughters. They are 
New England's best beauties — they have 
handsome forms, and tliey are beautiful in 
face, body and mind. The whole family, 
father, mother and daughters, present one 
of the best family groups I ever saw in my 
whole life. Their persons, minds and man- 
ners are in perfect keeping, of which New 
Hampshire may well be proud, as orna- 
ments, physical, mental and moral, of the 
Granite State. Seeing them, and listening 
to their conversation, I thought, though I 
did not say so, that, unless the unmarried 
members of Congress had hearts harder 
than granite itself, and colder than north- 
ern icebergs, these young ladies would soon 
have good husbands and good homes in our 
delightful Great Western valley. Give us 
millions of just such people in the West, to 
cultivate and adorn the largest, the best 
and most fertile valley on the whole globe. 
Levi Woodbury was born in Francistown, 
in New Hampshire, in the year 1790. His 



22 TOUR TO WASHINGTON, D. C. 

father, Peter Woodbury, emigrated, when 
quite young, from Beverly, in Massachusetts, 
to the town where Governor Woodbury 
was born. We do not propose in this bio- 
graphical notice of one who has successive- 
ly filled, with credit to himself and honor 
to his native state, so many high and impor- 
tant public stations, any thing more than a 
mere passing notice of one of the most in- 
dustrious, polite, kind and useful men in the 
present Congress. The early education of 
Mr. Woodbury was acquired in the common 
schools of his native to\^ n. During a short 
period, he was employed, when young, a 
mere youth of fourteen or fifteen years of 
age, in teaching a school in Pepperell, in 
Massachusetts. In 1805 he entered Dart- 
mouth college, and was regularly graduated 
at that institution. As a scholar, he stood 
very high in his class. This circumstance, 
in addition to his devotion to literary pur- 
suits, in all probability, induced his alma 
mater to confer on him the degree of LL. 
D. at a subsequent period of his life. After 



TOUR TO WASHINGTON, D. C. ^Q 

graduating at Dartmouth college, Mr. Wood- 
bury studied law one year with Judge 
Reeve, at Litchfield, Connecticut, and com- 
pleting his law studies at other places, was 
admitted to the bar in 1812, and immediate- 
ly opened a law office in his native town. 
At the time when Mr. Woodbury began his 
career as a lawyer, party spirit ran high in 
New Hampshire ; the majority were op- 
posed to the war and the then admistration 
of the general government. Mr. Woodbury 
supported the war, and often addressed pub-, 
lie meetings, and drew up and introduced 
into them spirited resolutions, which pro- 
duced considerable effect on the, minds of 
his fellow citizens. During several years, 
the party opposed to the war, governed the 
State, until 1816, perhaps. During these 
four years Mr. Woodbury rose into a great 
practice at the bar, and stood high too as a 
politician with his party. In 1816, when 
his party had become a majority in the le- 
gislature, he was elected clerk of the Sen- 
ate. In the next January he was appointed 



OA TOUR TO WASHINGTON, D. C. 

a judge of the superior court. Having at 
such an early age been appointed to the 
highest judicial station in the State, the 
public attention was naturally turned to- 
wards him. His quick apprehension, his 
reach of thought, his firmness and moral 
courage, rendered him a model, it is said, 
of judicial deportment. His judicial deci- 
sions are reported and held in high estima- 
tion by the lawyers of New Hampshire. In 
1823, Judge Woodbury was elected Gover- 
nor of the State, but returned to the prac- 
tice of the law in 1824. His law practice 
was instantly considerable, and he was 
sought for as a lawyer by persons in every 
part of the State. In 1819 he was married 
to Miss Clapp of Portland in Maine. In the 
year 1825 he was elected a representative 
from Portsmouth, New Hampshire, to the 
legislature. He had settled himself as a 
lawyer, on his marriage, in Portsmouth. By 
the legislature, to which he had been elect- 
ed, he was chosen Speaker of the House of 
Representatives, and towards the close of 



TOUR TO WASHINGTON, D. C. QK 

the session he was elected to the Senate of 
the United States. We have been the more 
careful to notice every step of Mr. Wood- 
bury's advancement, until he reached the 
United States Senate, because, as soon as 
he appeared in that body, he was seen by 
the whole nation; and from that time to 
the present moment, he has always been 
where the whole nation could see him. 
His labors on committees, in the Senate, 
have been great and useful to his country. 
As Secretary of the Navy, and subsequent- 
ly Secretary of the Treasury department, 
he has shown talents of a superior cast. It 
is a striking fact, that he and his friend Cass, 
of the same State originally, are possibly 
the only men whom their party could, by 
possibility succeed in electing at the next 
presidential election. 

To those who personally know Mr. Wood- 
bury, it is unnecessary to state, that in his 
manners he is one of the most agreeable 
men in the world. Finally, himself and 
Mrs. Woodbury, have the most beautiful, 



^Q TOUR TO WASHINGTON, D. C. 

well bred and polite family now attending 
on this session of Congress. Their persons 
are not less beautiful than their minds, their 
manners and their hearts. I dismiss them 
from any further notice in my book, with 
the fervent desire that God may bless them. 



TOUR TO NEW YORK. 3*^ 



CHAPTER II. 

Journey from Washington to Philadelphia. — A clay at Philadelphia. — Jour- 
ney to New York on tlie rail-road. — Stop on Broadway. — A dinner con- 
sisting of ice water and one mouthful of roast beef I— Bill of fare, but no 
fare.— Thefts and burglary.— Broadstreet Hotel corner of Broad and Pearl 
streets.' — Fare excellent, but no bill of fare on the table at dinner. — 
Charles A. Clinton and Dr. Ilosack.— Mrs. Lentner's on Amity street, 
where Colonel Trumbull lived and died.— Albert Gallatin and his lady on 
Beckman street. — Mr. Gallatin's eventful life. — How employed in the stu- 
dy of Indian languages. — His inquiries concerning his old frientls in the 
District of Columbia. — Thei*- feeling towards him and Mrs. Gallatin, and 
the comparisons they are now daily compelled to make.' — The trade of 
New York city, its vast amount and probable increase, which will eventu- 
ally render it the greatest commercial emporium in the world. — Rail-road 
to the Pacific ocean and a fair prospect of its connecting our Atlantic ci- 
ties with China and the Pacific islands, by means of rail-roads and steam 
vessels. — The future wealth, grandeur and moral glory of this republic. 

Having tarried at Washington about eight 
days, and having visited all the places and 
persons that I then desired to see, I left the 
city early in the morning, in the rail-road 
cars, breakfasted in Baltimore at Bradshaws, 
and reached Philadelphia about dark in the 
evening. Stopping at the Mansion House 
hotel, adjoining the depot, I visited Dr. S. 
G. Morton, on Arch street, not far from my 



38 



TOUR TO NEW YORK. 



lodgings. He invited me to call on him the 
next evening, which I did. Through the 
day intervening, I visited some book-sellers 
and book-binders^ and saw and conversed 
with several very agreeable and well edu- 
cated persons, citizens and strangers. The 
Philadelphians are a very moral, well-in- 
formed and good people. At Dr. Morton's 
I met a small circle of his friends, with 
whom I spent agreeably several hours. The 
Doctor and his lady have, a family of very 
promising sons and daughters, whom they 
are educating in the best possible manner. 
I saw Dr. Wistar at the hotel where I put 
up, and where he boards. He is the son of 
the celebrated Doctor of that name, but the 
present Dr. Wistar does not wish to follow 
the practice of his profession, and so he 
does not follow it at present ; at least, I so 
understood him to say. Since I had seen 
this city, it had greatly increased its dimen- 
sions and improved its exterior appearance. 
The Girard College buildings, the Merch- 
ants' Exchange and the Almshouse, have 



TOUR TO NEW YORK. 



39 



been built since I had seen Philadelphia 
before, and they added much to its exterior 
aspect. ^.^ 

The building intended as a residence for 
paupers, as we passed along the rail-road, 
on my return from New York, in a pleas- 
ant morning, on our right hand, across th e 
Schuylkill, standing on elevated ground, 
made a splendid appearance. Had we not 
known that it was the Almshouse, we might 
have been tempted to believe it the resi- 
dence of some retired monarch of the old 
world, who had come here, and at the ex- 
pense of a million of dollars or more, had" 
erected this splendid palace for a residence. 
The traveller is generally treated a little 
better, and charged a little less in Philadel- 
phia, than he is in any other Atlantic city. 
As a whole, this city has always been cele- 
brated for its good qualities of all sorts, and 
yet a few, a very few men here have done 
not a little to injure its still fair character. 
Its banks, bankers and bankrupts have 
brought down ruin on many an honest man 



40 



TOtJR TO NEW YORK. 



and covered themselves, the authors of the 
mill, with shame and disgrace. The ruin 
has fallen on the innocent only, while the 
guilty have escaped condign punishment, 
except one of them, whose death in all hu- 
man probability was occasioned by his men- 
tal sutlerings, at the loss of his character. — 
Peace to his shade. 

Early on the morning of January 10th, I 
left the Mansion house, crossed the Dela- 
ware and passed through the State of New 
Jersey, in the rail-road cars, and arrived at 
New York city about three o'clock in the 
afternoon, in season for a dinner at a tavern 
on Broadway. At dinner we had a printed 
bill of fare in French. For drink, I had a 
glass of Croton water, with ice in it, and 
this, after a cold day's ride, in the depth of 
a cold, northern winter ! Had I been a fro- 
zen turnip, such water might have thawed 
my frozen stomach, but as it was, hot coffee 
or hot tea would have suited me much bet- 
ter. I called for something to eat, but the 
waiter in an insolent tone ordered me in 



TOUR TO NEW YORK. 



41 



German " to read my bill of fare/' and he 
refused to give me any thing to eat. Fin- 
ally, after positively refusing to comply with 
my request a dozen times, the ruffian gave 
me a thin slice of roasted beef, which I ate 
at a mouthful, and called in vain for more. 
This mouthful of meat, with some cold Cro- 
ton w^ater and some ice in it, w^as all I got 
for my dinner ! Half a dollar for such a din- 
ner! kind reader. I had the hill of fare ly- 
ing before me, but the fare itself! did not 
and could/ not obtain. After sitting at the 
table nearly an hour, faint, cold and hung- 
ry, I went to my room, in w Inch a small lire 
had been made at my request, at the ex- 
pense of another half dollar. The room be- 
ing cold and damp, w ith so bad a prospect 
before me, I locked my door, put the key 
in my pocket, and went down Broadstreet, 
until I came to Thresher's Broadstreet hotel, 
and told the host my story. He agreed to 
furnish me the best fare, unaccompained by 
a bill of it, a good room to myself, w^armed 
constantly by a good coal lire, for one dollar 



42 



TOUR TO NEW YORK. 



a day. Upon these terms we agreed, and 
I went back to the Broadway tavern. The 
Broadstreet hotel is the same house, which 
was occupied by General Washington as 
his head quarters, when he took possession 
of the city, after the British army had left 
it, at the conclusion of the revolutionary 
war. Standing in front of a large opened 
window in the second story, his officers 
standing before him in the street, below 
him. General Washington delivered to them 
his farewell address. » From the house, his 
officers accompanied him to the wharf, not 
very distant from this spot, where he took 
his final leave of his companions in arms. 
Having crossed the ferry into New Jersey, 
he hastened to appear before the continen- 
tal Congress, then sitting in Annapolis, the 
now seat of government in the State of Mary- 
land. A painting in the rotundo, represents 
Washington at Annapolis delivering his fare- 
well address to Congress. 

On the conclusion of my bargain with the 
landlord of the Broadstreet Hotel, I return- 



TOUR TO NEW YORK. 



43 



ed to my first stopping place, and by dint 
of argument, aided by several southern 
guests, I got a warm supper, with warm cof- 
fee and warm food, a little after ten o'clock 
that night. I got some sleep that night 
and a breakfast next morning, and paid a 
bill of three dollars tw^elve-and-a-half cents, 
for what I had ! Although my door had al- 
ways been locked when I was out of it and 
the key v/as in my pocket, yet that precau- 
tion had not prevented my room from being 
entered, my locked trunk's being opened, 
and several articles of no great value being- 
stolen from it — such as a shirt, a handker- 
chief and a quire of writing paper. By ten 
in the morning I w^as at my new lodgings, 
where I continued some three weeks, while 
I remained in New York. This Broadstreet 
Hotel, on the corner of Pearl and Broad 
streets, is within one minute's walk of the 
shipping, in the slip ; it is one square from 
Broadway, and the old Battery. At the 
Battery there is playing constantly a splen- 
did, roaring fountain of Croton water. It 



44 



TOUR TO NEW YORK. 



roars like a cataract in a still night. This 
Hotel is near not only to all the shipping in 
port, and the principal wholesale stores of 
all sorts, but it is the headquarters of most 
of the captain of vessels, which sail from 
this city to all parts of the world. From 
such a point, I found it an easy matter to 
visit every part of this emporium. New- 
York, with its four hundred thousand peo- 
ple, here, or in Brooklyn, is unquestionably 
the first city on this continent. To fully 
comprehend all the ideas necessarily be- 
longing to the wealth and resources of the 
United States, a man must visit New York 
and tarry some time there. Its streets, 
compared with those of Philadelphia, are 
narrow, crooked and dirty. 

The first person whom I called to see, 
merely as a friend, was Charles A. Clinton, 
the eldest son of De Witt Clinton. Him I 
found some few squares above the Park and 
near Broadway. Here I found too Dr. Ho- 
sack, the son of my old friend Dr. Hosack, 
now deceased. It was quite gratifying to 



TOUR TO NEW YORK. jt^ 

see the sons of my old friends, in the enjoy- 
ment of good health and prosperous in the 
world. Maj. Clinton had been clerk of the 
Superior courts for some dozen or more 
years, but had been removed from office, to 
make room for some relative of one of the 
judges of the court. This circumstance I 
had previously learned through the news- 
papers, about which Major Clinton said no- 
thing. I called several times afterwards to 
see Major Clinton at his law office, nearly 
opposite the Customhouse, in Nassau street. 
He practices in partnership with Henry S. 
Towner, Esq., a lawyer, originally from 
Williamstown, Massachusetts. The law- 
yers cluster around the Customhouse and 
around the Merchants' Exchange in Wall 
street. 

If law business is great in the city, the 
number of those who follow the legal pro- 
fession, is great likewise. I became per- 
sonally acquainted with several lawyers 
here, who are highly respectable as men, 
as lawyers and as scholars. Amonq- them 
3 



^r> TOUR TO NEW YORK, 

may be mentioned George Folsom, Esq., 
whose office is opposite the Exchange, on 
Wall street. He is an author too. A son 
of Colonel Gibbs, the geologist, is a lawyer 
whose office is near the Exchange. 

The bustle and crowd, the noise, the an- 
xiety on many faces, and the vast amount of 
property of all sorts, such as cotton for in- 
stance, in piles, blocking up streets, or mov- 
ing to and fro, between warehouses and 
wharves — the masts of vessels, standing 
along the shores of North river or those of 
Long Island sound, strike the eye, as one 
passes over the lower end of the city. Along 
Broadway, the goods and the signs and eve- 
ry thing, indeed, that possibly can catch 
the eye^'and di'aw the attention of the stran- 
ger, are not wanting, for a distance of two 
miles from the Battery upwards. The citi- 
zens, I believe, do not patronise the hotels 
on Broadway, but prefer those in streets 
farther eastward, as cheaper, more quiet 
and better in all respects, than Broadway 
houses. The retail stores are many of them 
on Broadway, but the wholesale ones are 



TOUR TO NEW YORK. 



47 



lower down in the city. Wall street is full 
of banks and insurance companies. The 
Harpers' great book establishment is in Cliff 
street, near the old swamp, we believe. At 
the foot of Fulton street is the ferry, which 
crosses the East river to Long Island. This 
is the greatest ferrying place in America. 
We say this, though we are aware that a 
place in Kentucky, is called "Great Cross- 
ings," yet Brooklyn ferry is a greater "cross- 
ing" place, than the " Crossings" in Scott 
county, Kentucky. I went over to Brook- 
lyn and called on the editor of the Long Is- 
land Star — Alden Spooner, Esq. He is t!ie 
surrogate of the county where he resides, 
and he devotes the most of his time to the 
duties of his office. Of the forty thousand 
people who live in Brooklyn, not a few of 
them have stores, shops and offices in New 
York city. Such men spend the day in the 
city and sleep witli their families on Long 
Island at night. House rent is cheaper in 
Brooklyn than it is in New York, and there 
may be other reasons, such as the compara- 



-^ T01JR TO NEW YORK!. 



tive quietness of a village, in Brooklyn^ 
which is not found in New York, except 
some three miles up in the city. Brooklyn is 
therefore nearer their business than the up- 
per part of New York would be ; so Brook- 
lyn is preferred by men of business, as a fa- 
mily residence, to the city itself. 

Soon after my arrival in the city, as soon 
as it was generally known, through the 
newspapers, where I was located, I was 
carried by Geo. Folsom, Esq. to the dwell- 
ing house of Albert Gallatin, in Beekman 
street. He and his lady received me most 
cordially, as ''a man, whom they had ardent- 
ly desired to see, (as they assured me) dur- 
ing the last thirty years." I found Mrs. Gal- 
latin a most interesting old lady, surrounded 
by the neighboring ladies of that vicinity, 
to whom she politely introduced me. After 
a brief interview with these ladies belov/ 
stairs, we proceeded (Mr. Folsom and my- 
self) 'to Mr. Gallatin's library room, where 
we found him engaged in his favorite study 
of the Indian languages of America. Per- 



TOUR TO NEW YORK. 



49 



haps I am in an error, but as I understood 
him, Mr. Gallatin had taken the Indian 
words as spelt by Englishmen, Frenchmen? 
Spaniards, Portugese, Americans, &c. as the 
true pronunciation of Indian words, which 
by the Indians themselves, had never been 
wa'itten. If he had. done so, the true pro- 
nunciation of the Indians themselves had 
seldom been reached. Having been myself 
engaged in writing down the language of 
the Sioux, I am aware of the difficulty of 
catching the exact sound of each word, and 
the difficulty too, of expressing the exact 
sound of the word, by means of our alpha- 
bet. I saw at a glance the difficulty of his 
position. I hinted at this circumstance, but 
Mr. Gallatin did not fully comprehend my 
meaning, and so I dropped the subject. No 
alphabet now in use among men, c^n con- 
vey all the sounds of any Indian language, 
now or ever spoken in North America. 01 
this fact I feel assured from my own know- 
ledge of Indian languages. The perfect 
knowledge of these languages is more curi- 



p.-f. TOUR TO NEW YORK- 

Oils than useful, perhaps, in as much as the 
Indians themselves will soon be gone, be- 
fore the Anglo-Americans, whose march 
and conquests will soon obliterate every 
vestige of the aboriginals of America. 

Our regrets may and will follow the dis- 
appearance of the Indians from the face ol 
the globe, but their doom is certain, and not 
far off, in point of time. Our legislative 
bodies, from the best of motives, are en- 
deavoring to preserve Indian names of pla- 
ces, rivers, mountains, &c., but our gross 
ignorance of Indian languages, prevents us 
from even retaining proper names. Hoo, for 
instance, in some Indian dialects, means 
elk, and uk is river, so HoosiJc means " elks 
river." " SoosJ^eJ' means hunting, and ''han- 
mh," in a Delaware dialect, means river. 
SooskehannaJi means " hunting river," which 
we call Susquehanna river. 

No Indian, who heard us pronounce the 
w^ord Poto?7iac would suspect that we meant 
to say the river Potum ; so of Rappa-hamiah 
he would not know that we meant the rivey 



TOUR TO NEW YORK 



51 



Kappa. So of the river Roan, which we call 
Roan oak, instead of calling it simply the 
river Roan. But enough, perhaps, too much 
of Indian languages. We give, however, 
the names correctly: Hoo, Sooske, Potum, 
Rappa and Roan. After spending several 
hours with Mr. Gallatin in his library, and 
after conversing with him on my business, 
which had brought me to the city, in which 
he took an interest, I returned to my lodg- 
ings in Broad street. He invited me to call 
on him again, and spend some time with 
him, on his birth day, when he would be 
eighty-three years old. 

I next visited Mr. and Mrs. Hopkins and 
their daugliter, who boarded with Mrs. 
Lentner, No. 15 Amity street, near Broad- 
way. In this house, kept by the present 
occupant. Colonel Trumbull spent the last 
twenty years of his life. Here he lived 
and here he died, not long before my visit. 
It was in this house that Colonel Trumbull 
executed his splendid paintings which now 
adorn the rotundo in the capitol at Wash- 



o 



r> TOUR TO NEW YORK. 



ington city. These paintings are seen by 
a great number of persons every day in the 
year. The Declaration of Independence, 
the Surrender of Cornwallis, &c. &c. will 
confer an unfading fame on Colonel Trum- 
bull. Mrs. Lentner will always be re- 
membered for her care of the painter, 
which so greatly contributed to preserve 
his useful life, until he was more than eigh- 
ty-seven years old. I saw in Mrs. Lent- 
ner's parlor a likeness of Colonel Trumbullj 
painted by himself, in his last years. It 
was said to be a very correct one. So said 
Mrs. Lentner. 

After taking dinner and supper w^ith Mrs. 
Lentner and her family, I returned in the 
omnibus to my lodgings. If any persons 
could prolong human life and render it hap- 
py, Mrs. Lentner, her sister, and the do- 
mestics around her, could certainly effect 
that object. So it seemed to me during the 
six hours that I spent at number 15, Amity 
street, New York. She is the Mrs, Bal- 
lard of New York, 



TOUR TO NEW YORK. ^Q 



5S 

On Mr. Gallatin's birth clay, when he had 
arrived at the age of eighty-three years, I 
went to see him as early in the morning of 
that day as I could, after taking a very ear- 
ly breakfast. I found him up in his library, 
busily engaged in his favorite study of In- 
dian languages. He was quite active, quick 
in his motions, his cheeks were ruddy, his 
eye clear and piercing, his step elastic, his 
eye sight, by the aid of his glasses, good. 
He repeatedly ran up his ladder like a 
squirrel to get a book for me. His hear- 
ing is unimpaired, and his memory of past 
events, wherein he had been concerned, 
excellent. His reasoning powers w^ere 
good, and so was his judgment. On my 
former visit I had, at his request, related to 
him what I had known of the transactions 
of his life, in which I had left many blanks, 
especially when he had been in Europe as 
our diplomatic agent. To-day Mr. Gallatin 
lilled up those blanks and recounted to me 
what he had done, ever since he landed at 
^New York, a poor foreigner, ignorant of our 



54 



TOUR TO NEW YORK. 



language, unlearned and not twenty years 
old; but now I saw before me, at the age 
of eighty-three, a man of wealth, of learn- 
ing, of great practical knowledge and of 
vast mental powers, whose fame as a diplo- 
matist, as a man of business and as a states- 
man, was co-extensive with the civilized 
world. Pie more than once told me that 
he was relating the manner in which he 
had succeeded in life, so that I might profit 
by his experience, whereas I expected to 
die long years before he would. So I 
thought, but said nothing, because any re- 
mark in reply or by way of inquiry, seemed 
to discompose his mind very much. In the 
course of his long story of four or five hours 
in length, he more than once gave the cre- 
dit of his success to his wife and her rela- 
tives in New York. He had married a 
daughter of Commodore Nicholson. She 
had entered into all his concerns, political, 
moral, social and mental with her whole 
heart. She even watched the newspapers, 
to learn what they said of Mr. Gallatin. He 



TOUR TO NEW YORK. 



55 



related to me an anecdote of Mr. Gales, 
who in bis Intelligencer had said of Mr. 
Gallatin, after his arrival in Washington, 
"that the venerable Mr. Gallatin had arrived 
in the city." Soon after that paper ap- 
peared, when a party of gentlemen had 
convened to give Mr. Gallatin a public din- 
ner, perhaps, the latter gentleman vsaid 
aloud, so that all present heard him, "Mr. 
Gales, my wife says, you make her husband 
quite too venerable." Mr. and Mrs. Galla- 
tin sent by me their best respects to all 
their old friends in the District of Colum- 
bia, with a very pressing request, that I 
w^ould give him an accurate account of 
these friends, and what had befallen them 
since January 1830, which was the last time 
Mr. Gallatin had been in Washington city. 
On my return to Washington I executed 
my commission in a way that I supposed 
would be satisfactory to all concerned — 
that is, to Mr. and Mrs. Gallatin and to their 
surviving friends in the District. On the 
whole, we may safely pronounce Mr. Gal- 



56 



TOUR TO NEW YORK. 



latin a very fortunate man, who, by his in- 
dustry, economy, perseverance and sleep- 
less energy, has acquired honors, wealth 
and fame. Sixty years ago, he was a sur- 
veyor of wild lands along and near the Ohio 
river, naming the smaller streams that run 
into that river, ascertaining the latitude and 
longitude of particular points, and extend- 
ing his surveys quite into what is now the 
State of Kentucky. George Washington 
was a surveyor in that region at the same 
time. Mr. Gallatin spoke of himself, as a 
man in rather limited circumstances, whose 
annual income amounted to only about five 
thousand dollars. When he so informed 
me, I thought that many a man in the wes- 
tern States would consider himself well off, 
provided he had that sum as his whole es- 
tate. As to size, Mr. Gallatin is rather un- 
der the common one, extremely well form- 
ed in person, and has in his head a piercing, 
hazle coloured eye. His memory is re- 
markably good, and he is almost infinitely 
better qualified to be the Secretary of the 



TOUR TO NEW YORK. 



57 



Treasury, than the man *******. His old 
clerks all retain a warm friendship for him, 
and so do their families. Mrs. Gallatin is 
remembered by them, and all her old 
neighbors in Washington, with heartfelt 
gratitude, on account of her numerous un- 
ostentatious hospitalities and charitable 
acts. The comparison which all in this 
city, who lived here in Gallatin's time and 
still reside here, are compelled to make, is 
quite mortifying to their feelings. While 
the mass of the people of Washington city 
have become better, some of the higher of- 
ficers of the government have become 
worse — much worse. Esconsed, malignant, 
haughty, distant, reserved, lazy, inattentive 
to the duties of their offices, one of them, 
scarcely ever reaches his office until noon, 
carrying his gold headed cane, horizontally 
suspended in his hand, he signs his name 
to a few papers, which Mr. ^**** and his 
clerks, *^ ■ and others had prepared for his 
signature, and he departs to his house to 
write for the newspapers against the admi- 



f^g TOUR Tb NEW YORK. 

nistration, one of which he is. A President 
who would dare to brush off a musquito 
from his hand, that was biting it, would 
clear out such a fellow forthwith.* It is 
an old maxim with me, "to mark the man, 
w^hom God has marked." When I see a 
deformed mouth and a cocked eye, I ex- 
pect to find their owner a man actuated by 
malice, treachery and deceit ; a cold heart- 
ed wretch, whom no one pities and no one 
loves. Under some frivolous pretence, such 
a cr^ture hides himself in his house as an 
owl does in his hollow tree in the day time, 
and prowls, like the wolf or the owl, during 
the night. That man's father says, that his 
son is the worst man in the world. 

During the time I was in New York city, 
the Customhouse officers were kept very 
busy. The duties on the imported goods 
were of great amount, and the officers were 
employed all day long in the open air, from 
sun-rise till dark, when the thermometer 



* While this form was passing through the press, the President brushed 
ofl'the musquito from his hand. — Thank you Sir. 



TOUR TO NEW YORK. 



59 



was many degrees below zero. General 
Waller was thus .employed, weighing iron 
from Sweden and Russia, all day long. 

Goods by wholesale are sold much chea- 
per in New York than I had supposed, and 
I had no correct idea of the vast amount of 
its commerce, until I had been in the city 
two weeks. Considerable as the amount 
of duties on goods received in this city, is, 
yet the goods not paying any duty, such as 
cotton, Orleans sugar, and domestic manu- 
factures, is still greater. The amount too, 
of flour, wheat, corn, pork, beef, lard, &c., 
brought here, is much more than I had sup- 
posed it to be. When we have a despotism 
in this country, all these goods will pay a 
duty to the government. It might amount 
to twenty millions of dollars annually, and 
would then be a very low duty on domestic 
products. We say this for the lovers of 
low v>ages and free trade. 

As this nation increases in numbers — as 
the western States fill up with people — as 
the amount of agricultural and manufac- 



GO 



TOUR TO NEW YORK. 



tured goods increases, and as the for- 
eign goods, consumed in this great and 
growing nation, increase, the city of New 
York will increase its numbers of people, 
its commerce, wealth and power. Her 
ships and commerce will float on every sea 
and every ocean, until she will rival Lon* 
don herself in trade, wealth and power. 
The position of New York, so near the 
main ocean, on an island, laved too by the 
North river and the Sound, affords every 
facility which she needs or could desire, for 
extending her commerce not only to for- 
eign countries, but' into the interior of this 
vast country. She will only need a rail- 
road to the Pacific, and a dense population, 
settled along its whole route, to enliven and 
animate the scenery along its way. In that 
event, steam vessels, running from Astoria 
to China and Japan and all the islands of 
the northern Pacific, would soon be seen 
on the Upper Pacific, conveying the pro- 
ductions of the whole world to a market. 
Such a rail-road might be made bv the na* 



TOUR TO NEW YORK. 



61 



tion, from the. land sales in the new regions 
to be settled by our people. What a sub- 
lime, moral, political and commercial pros- 
pect is held out to our enraptured eyes I 
Christians, statesmen, Americans and scho- 
lars, look on this picture I 

From surveys actually made by Lieut, 
Freemont, it is certain, that a rail-road from 
Cumberland, in Maryland, to the Pacific, is 
entirely within our means as a nation, at an 
expense of only about fifty millions of dol- 
lars or less; and it is equally certain that 
the new lands to be brought into market 
by making the road, would defray every 
dollar of the expense oi' making it. We 
live in the infancy of the greatest nation 
that now exists, ever did, or ever will exist, 
on the face of the globe. Looking through 
tlie vista of futurity, we can now behold a 
nation consisting of five hundred millions of 
people, all speaking our language, and gov- 
erning the world in peace without a rival 
in commerce, arts or arms. Should the 
British lion growl at us^ the Gallic cock 
4 



62 



TOUR TO NEW YOKK. 



would flap his wings and crow at our sue- 
ress, and the Russian bear smile upon us. 
The American eagle will yet soar above 
both, into his own pure air, where he can 
revel in the brilliant beams of his own fla- 
ming sun. The trade between the East In- 
dies and Europe will eventually pass across 
our territory, east and west, and the time 
of passing from London to Canton might 
not occupy more than two montlis. Such 
a state of things would add to the wealth, 
numbers, commerce, agriculture and manu- 
factures of this whole nation. Such a nation, 
whose territory extended from the Atlantic 
to the Paciflc, from the lev sea in the north 
to the Isthmus of Darien in the south, would 
])resent a sublime spectacle. What a vast 
iield in which free government might ex- 
ercise its energies! The liuman imagina- 
tion is lost in its contemplation of such a 
prospect, for the future generations of our 

posterity. 

Yet, certainly, such is the prospect 
ahead, unless it be our own fault. The most 



TOUR TO NEW YORK 



63 



difficult portion of the road to be made be- 
tween the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, is 
between Cumberland and AVheeling; and 
yet that portion oi' it could be made in five 
years after it was fairly began to be made 
by the nation. The little questions of policy 
and of party, now agitating so many little 
minds, will be lost in oblivion, and higher, 
nobler, better and more extended objects 
and aims, will occupy higher, nobler and 
better minds than are now eniployed on 
political afliiirs. The little ants and their 
mole hills, ivill give place to mammoths 
and to Alps, in the intellectual, political 
and moral world. Our destiny is in our own 
brands, and unless we abuse all the gifts of 
God to us, W'O shall be the most powerful 
nation on earth. Let us hope that our peo- 
ple will move forward in their career to its 
ultimate grand end, unimpeded by factions 
at home, or by force from abroad. The 
more States we have in our confederacy, 
the stronger we shall be as a nation. As 
a great whole, the human mind has alwaYS 



64 



TOUR TO NEW YORK; 



moved forward, and we see no reason why 
the American mind should stand still, or 
stop short of its grand, final destiny, at the 
very head of nations — of all nations on 
earth. Nature's God never intended that 
the people of this great continent, should 
be subservient to the people of Europe, 
inore than he did that the sun in yonder 
firmament should descend from his orbit to 
revolve around a pebble on our sea shore, 
as his centre of gravity. No. We inhabit 
a great and mighty continent, blest with 
every soil, climate, plant and animal which 
the earth contains. Our peoplo, too, derive 
their origin from every other people almost 
who live on this globe. Let us throw aside 
as useless, and worse than useless, all low 
aims, and soar like our own eagle into pu- 
rer air J 



WASHINGTON. 



65 



CHAPTER IIL 

Return to Washington. — The different degrees of temperature in the atmo- 
sphere at different places seen in the thickness of the ice in the rivers from 
New York to Washington inclusive.— Long interview with the President, 
llis misfortunes rather than his faults.— His cheerfulness, and his views 
as to Lil.eria.— Supernumeraries ought to be set to work and sent off. — 
Beautiful situation of Washington. — The Congress library, its officers and 
the agreeable company usually in the library room.— Army of little offi^ 
cers in and about the capitol. — Judge Upshur, personal acquaintance 
with him, his character and death. — The tragedy on board the Princeton, 
— Great I'uneral and a whole city in tears for the loss of so many distin- 
guished citizens. 

Having determined to return to Wash- 
ington city, I wrote to the innkeeper of the 
Mansion house hotel at Philadelphia, to 
have my room warm for me at 11 o'clock, 
P. M. and entering the evening cars at Jer- 
^ej city in the evening, we were carried 
across the State of New Jersey, and cross- 
ing the Delaware with some difficulty, on 
account of the ice in the river, I arrived at 
Philadelphia, and was in a good warm bed, 
in a warm room, before eleven o'clock at 



66 



WASHIiVGTOX 



night, at Horter's Mansion house, corner of 
1 Ith and Market streets, Philadelphia. — 
The ride across the State of New Jersey, 
in a bright moonlight night, was as agree- 
able as it could be, we being able to see 
each town as we passed through it. The 
cars were well warmed by stoves; we were 
not too much crowded to be comfortable, 
and we had agreeable company enough to 
render our journey pleasant. Lodging at 
Philadelphia, next morning after breakfast 
I entered the cars for Baltimore, and ar- 
rived at Washington city exactly twenty- 
five hours after I had left New York. This 
last day's ride was perhaps on the second 
day of February. The different degrees of 
temperature in the atmosphere during the 
month of January, was seen in the thick- 
ness of the ice in the North, the Delaware,, 
in the Susquehanna and the Potomac rivers. 
In the North river the ice was fourteen 
inches in thickness, in the Delaware ten 
inches, and eight inches in the Susquehan- 
na, but not more than six inches in the Po- 



WASHINGTON. 



67 



tomac. The city of New York, located on 
an island that lies high, and is exposed to 
every breath of air that moves in any direc- 
tion over tiie land or the water, is colder 
than its latitude would seem to indicate. 
The current in the river and in the Sound, 
owing to a tide of from seven to eleven feet 
in height, risino- and fallins: everv few 
hours, prevents any very great inconveni- 
ence to ships, either entering into or leaving 
the harbor in the coldest winter weather. 

I was no more fatigued by my journey, 
than if I had been sitting in my room at 
the Broadstreet hotel. The passage money 
between Washington city and New York, 
is only ten dollars and liftv cents, yet, for 
handling trunks, for refreshments on the 
way, and tavern bills, added to carfare, we 
may safely say that it costs the passenger 
fifteen dollars between Washington city 
and New York. 

Soon after my return to Washington, I 
spent an entire evening with the President, 
from early candle lighting until after nine 



^^O / WASHINGTON. 

o'clock. He had invited the Rev. Mr. Giir- 
iey, and a gentleman from Memj)his, Ten- 
nessee, to visit him that evening. These 
gentlemen tarried an hour or so, when I 
was left alone with the President. He con- 
versed very freely on the colony of Liheria, 
and expressed a wish to see it become a 
nation, independent, but under the protec- 
tion of the United States and of England. 
He dwelt on that subject during an hour. 
He was quite eloquent on the prospect 
when Virginia would send off her slaves to 
Liberia, and become a great manufacturing 
State, and in that way at length assume 
her old supremacy, standing at the head of 
the Union in numbers and wealth. The 
President j^aid that he owned some thirteen 
slaves, which he bought, to prevent their 
being carried South. He appeared to be 
entirely willing to set them free, and let 
them emigrate to Liberia. To him they 
had been valueless, and so would remain a 
burden on his hands. He seemed to think 
that this Union would last forever, or if it 



WASHINGTON. 



69 



should be divided, the Alleghenies would 
be the hne of separation. In this opinion 1 
heartily coincided with him. He was quite 
cheerful, and very agreeable in conversa- 
tion. He appeared to know his position — 
who his friends were around him, and who 
w^ere not his friends. At that time I thought 
he had more friends among his officers than 
he supposed he had, but subsequently I as- 
certained the entire correctness of his in- 
formation on that matter. He has doubtless 
been very unfortunate. Placed in his high 
station as unexpectedly to himself as to a 
whole nation, his first cabinet was not of 
his selection, and they deserted him in a 
critical moment. He was compelled in- 
stantly to form a new cabinet, which unfor- 
tunately for him, Upshur always excepted, 
began forthwith to help themselves, and 
their poor, needy, greedy dependants, and 
they have continued to help themselves 
ever since they have been in office. Two 
of these heads of department spent their 
time in studying how they might gratify 



YQ WASHINGTON. 

either their cupidity or their malice. The 
indignation of all honest men in the nation 
was roused into activity against the Presi- 
dent, on account of removals from office on 
several occasions, because they argued that 
the Chief Magistrate, unless he approved ol 
such flagrant acts of oppression, in remov- 
ing from office such men as Gen. Van Ren- 
sellaer. Governor Lincoln, and a long list of 
good men, he would at once remove those 
heads of department who had been guilty 
of such high-handed injustice. Thus, the 
whole blame fell on the President, instead 
of failing on the real authors of such wick- 
edness. The President has been, and is 
still blamed, for many appointments of very 
incompetent men, which I understood him 
to say, he never had interfered with at all. 
So of the accounting olhcers, who had in 
many cases, it is said, done great injustice 
to individuals, and then had charged all 
their enormities on the President. The 
people in every part of the Union had be- 
come exasperated at these flagrant acts of 



WASHINGTON. 



(i 



oppression and injustice. Claimants, where 
the case was as clear as the noon-day, were 
postponed from day to day, for w^eeks and 
months; their claims were to be acted on, 
none could say when. It is a fashion they 
have here, of putting off the settlement of 
claims until the applicant has spent here 
about all that he gets from the government. 
The supernumerary officers, block up every 
avenue to the treasury. Congress should 
either dismiss them altogether, or send 
them off to clear out our western rivers, or 
employ them as far off as possible from the 
seat of the national government. Why they 
are here at all is a mystery to me, and why 
Congress permits them to throng their lob- 
bies and the rotundo, is equally surprising 
to me. West Point academy was once use- 
ful, but if the cadets are to accumulate as 
rapidly as they have of late years, it may 
lead in the end to an aristocracy in this 
country. Whether this institution, on the 
whole, is an useful one, is at best quite 
doubtlul in my mind. 



72 



WASHINGTON. 



Taking a recess, as a legislator would call 
it, I here say that Washington city and its 
surrounding country is delightfully situated 
for the seat of the national government. — 
The ground rising gradually from the water 
and extending back in places a mile or 
more, with the space occupied by water, 
between, the ground around it on all sides 
of it, presents every variety of aspect, al- 
most, calculated to render it pleasant as a 
residence. It has none of the bustle of 
commerce, none of its noise or crowd. Du- 
ring a session of Congress, persons of both 
sexes are in the city from all parts of the 
Union, with whom the stranger can asso- 
ciate, and obtain a great deal of informa- 
tion, topographical, literary, scientific, ge- 
neral or ])articular. Every person in the 
whole Union being here represented, one 
can gain correct information concerning 
any man of any note in the nation. By go- 
ing to the library room of Congress, he can 
there find and read almost any books which 
he desires to consult. He can there see 



WASHINGTON, *y^ 

daily, persons of the most refined taste, po- 
lite manners and agreeable conversation. 
None but such persons are rarely seen in 
that room. I have always found reading 
people more placid and more agreeable in 
their manners than others, and w^ere any 
whole nation wholly composed of such ma- 
terials, it would be the happiest and the 
best nation in the w^orld. Mr. John H. 
Meehan the librarian and Edward B. Stelle, 
C. H. W. Meehan and Robert Kearon, 
his assistants, are among the most polite 
and agreeable gentlemen in this city. They 
are always ready to attend to the wishes 
of all who call on them. Personally ac- 
quainted with nearly all who call at their 
room, they are always ready to introduce 
a stranger to any gentleman who is in the 
room. Fatigued as they sometimes are 
with the constant labor of a long day, yet 
they never complain of their toil, but cheer- 
fully attend to all the wants of the visiters^ 
— This room is opened very early in the 
morning, and not closed until a late hour. 



74 



WASHINGTON, 



If any olficers of the government deserve 
all their salaries, and more too, they are 
the Mechans, father and son, Stelle and 
Kearon. Their salaries are small ones, and 
their labors are great and fatiguing all day 
long, dm'ing the whole session of Congress. 
During the intervals between the sessions, 
their labors are not so fatiguing, but they 
are even then constant, unremitting and 
useful to the visiters, who are always all 
day long in this library. Having known 
these gentlemen fourteen years and u]i- 
wards in their present stations, I take a 
real pleasure in bearing this testimony in 
their favor. 

How many messengers, assistant messen- 
gers, doorkeepers and assistant doorkeep- 
ers, clerks and assistant clerks, postmasters 
and assistant postmasters, paperfolders, pa- 
ges, &c. &c. there are here, I cannot tell, 
because I do not know, but their numbers 
must be very large, and they cost the na- 
tion a great deal. All the officers of gov- 
ernment in the city must amount to one 



WASIIIiNGTON. 



75 



thousand at least, and their salaries would 
support probably all the State governments 
in the Mississippi Valley. I make no com- 
plaint of this vast expense, but we must 
not find fault with the expenses of monar- 
chical government in many of the minor 
governments in the old world. Take from 
those governments, in the north of Europe, 
their standins^ armies, rendered necessarv, 
perhaps, by their peculiar position, and it is 
possible that their governments might be 
cheaper than ours. That we have many 
useless olFicers, many members of Congress 
seem to think, but whether they can be 
cast off, because they are useless, is doubt- 
ful. This army of smaller officers are al- 
ways on the alert, when retrenchment and 
relbrtn are talked of by members — these 
creatures crying out: "penny wise and 
pound foolish." They have some influence 
on Congress, and would be glad to liave 
more. So far as the House of Eepresenta- 
tives are concerned, there is a strong dis- 
position to reduce the expenses of the go- 



7G 



WASHINGTON 



vernment, but the Senate has not yet acted 
finally on that subject. 

Very soon after my return to Washing- 
ton, I became personally acquainted with 
Judge Upshur, Secretary of State. From 
the tirst day I saw and conversed with him 
in his office, until the day of his death, I 
saw him at least once, often twice a day, 
and wrote down at night what had been 
the subjects of our conversation in our in- 
terview. I did this at his suggestion, so 
that he could duly consider the subject 
matter of our discourse in the day time. 
He was one of the most agreeable, sensible 
and truly good men, whom I ever became 
personally acquainted with. Sometimes he 
has been called a nulliilcr, perhaps, but no 
man in the nation v>as ever more attached 
to tlie Union than he was. We thought 
precisely alike on that subject — that it is 
the highest duty of all our citizens to use 
all the means in our power to promote the 
interests of all sections of the Union, and of 
ail classes of its people. 



WASHINGTON. 



77 



The natural cements of our confederacy, 
consisting of mutual interests promoted by 
mutual acts of kindness and affection for 
each other, Judge Upshur preferred, as he 
often told me, to all or even any resorts to 
the violent restraints of physical force, such 
as the despot and the tyrant employ. He 
dwelt with rapture on the future prospects 
of this nation, when its citizens and its in- 
stitutions, would cover the whole of North 
America, like a mantle, and w hen our ships 
would float on every sea and visit every 
island and country in the world. When 
our steamers would ascend and descend 
every river of any size that irrigates the 
countries of both continents. By such 
means, he thought, Christianity would be 
spread from pole to pole, and all the world 
become united in the bonds of peace, har- 
mony and brotherly affection. In this way, 
wars Avould cease and the despot and the 
warrior be laid aside as useless. " The nod- 
ding plume, he said, dyed in blood, would 
no more be seen," Knowing as I did, all 



5 



'yg Washingto??. 

liis views and all his plans^ and the mean.^ 
which he would have used to carry them 
hito execution, I felt the overwhelming ca- 
lamity of his death the more on these ac- 
counts. His plans were all formed, and 
they were just ahout to be carried into ef- 
fect, otherwise he would have instantly 
gone into private life. Laying my own feel- 
ings, as to myself, out of the question, and 
looking only to the public interest, I felt 
myself and the country overwhelmed by an 
awful calamity. Any successor of Judge 
Upshur would not have the time, such as 
he had devoted to that object, to form and 
mature plans of operation. And if he had 
such plans laid as Upshur had, his succes- 
sor misfht not have the necessarv means of 
effecting his object. As a nation, we de- 
served to suffer, but still we may mourn for 
our dreadful loss, sustained by his untimely 
death. 

Judge Upshur was a man of good princi- 
ples and pure morals. lie was all in reali- 
ty and truth, that any old Virginia gentle- 



WASHINGTON. 



79 



man was in the days of Washington, Jeffer- 
son, Madison and Monroe, an ornament to 
human nature itself and of the "Ancient 
Dominion," He recalled to my mind the 
old patriots of Virginia, for whom from my 
earliest years I had entertained a strong 
and abiding sense of their worth, their in- 
trinsic value, as men and as citizens of this 
republic. From three of their Presidents I 
had received numerous marks of their con- 
fidence in me and my relatives. This may 
be one reason almost without my knowing 
it why I have always taken such pleasure in 
doing justice to Virginia's favorite sons. I 
shall always take a melancholy pleasure in 
remembering Judge Upshur, and in asso- 
ciating him in my mind with my old friend 
Chief Justice Marshall. From the latter 
gentleman I received a great deal of aid 
in the way of information, while I was in 
Washington, many, years since, when I was 
preparing lor the press my History of Ohio, 
An old Virginia gentleman, as he exists in 
mv recollections of Jefferson, Marshall, 



so 



WASHINGTON. 



Monroe and Upshur — the Randolphs, the 
Masons, the Lees, the Pendletons — and 
what I hear of Archer, Rives and others is as 
perfect as human nature can be. 

Here I present a very condensed account 
of the awful calamity on hoard the Prince- 
ton on the 28th day of February, 1844. — 
The first announcement of the event is de- 
rived from the Intelligencer of the 29th of 
February, and the account of the funeral 
obsequies is extracted from the Globe ot" 
the 4th of March, 

In the whole course of our lives it lias 
never fallen to our lot to announce to our 
readers a more shocking calamity — shock- 
ing in all its circumstances and concomi- 
tants — than that which occurred on board 
the United States ship Princeton, yesterday 
afternoon, whilst under way, in the river 
Potomac, fourteen' or fifteen miles below 
the city. Yesterday was a day appointed 
by the courtesy and hospitality of Captain 
Stockton, Commander of the Princeton, for 
reeeiAdng as visiters to his fine ship (lyings 



WASfflNGTON. 



81 



off Alexandria) a great number of guests, 
with their families, liberally and numerous- 
ly invited to spend the day on board. The 
day was most favorable, and the company 
was large and brilliant, of both sexes ; not 
less probably in number than four hundred, 
among whom were the President of the 
United States, the Heads of the several 
Departments, and their families. At a pro- 
per liour, after the arrival of the expected 
guests, the vessel got under way and pro- 
ceeded down the river, to some distance 
below Fort Washington. During the pas- 
sage down, one of the large guns on board 
(carrying a ball of 225 pounds) was fired 
more than once, exhibiting the great power 
and capacity of that formidable weapon of 
war. The ladies had partaken of a sump- 
tuous repast; the gentlemen had succeeded 
them at the table, and some of them had 
left it ; the vessel was on her return up the 
river, opposite to the fort, where Captain 
Stockton consented to fire another shot 
from the same gun, around and near which. 



09 WASHINGTON. 

to observe its effects, many persons had 
gathered, though by no means so many as 
on similar discharges in the morning, the 
ladies who then throns^ed the deck beinsr 
on this fatal occasion almost all between 
decks, and out of reach of harm. 

The gun was fired. The explosion was 
followed, before the smoke cleared away 
so as to observe its effect, by shrieks of wo 
which announced a dire calamity. The 
gun had burst, at a point three or four feet 
from the breech, and scattered death and 
desolation around. Mr. Upshur, Secretary 
of State, Mr. Gilmer, so recently placed at 
the head of the Navy, Commodore Kennoiv, 
one of its gallant officers, Virgil Maxcy, 
lately returned from a diplomatic residence 
at the Hague, Mr. Gardner, of New York, 
(formerly a member of the Senate of that 
State,) were among the slain. Besides 
these, seventeen seamen w^ere wounded, 
several of them badly and probably mor- 
tally. Among those stunned by the con- 
cussion, we learn not all seriously injured, 



WASHINGTON. 



were Capt. Stockton himself; Col. Benton, 
of the Senate ; Lieut. Hunt, of the Prince- 
ton; W, D. Robinson, of Georgetown. — 
Other persons also were perhaps more or 
less injured, of whom in the horror and con- 
fusion of the moment, no certain account 
could be obtained. The above are believed 
to comprise the whole of the persons known 
to the public who were killed or danger- 
ously or seriously hurt. 

The scene upon the deck may more ea- 
sily be imagined than described. Nor can 
ftie imagination picture to itself the half of 
its horrors. Wives, widowed in an instant 
by the nmrderous blast ! Daughters smit- 
ten with the heart-rending sight of their 
father's lifeless corpse ! The w^ailings of 
agonized females ! The piteous grief of the 
unhurt but heart-stricken spectators ! The 
wounded seamen borne down below! The 
silent tears and quivering lips of their brave 
and honest comrades, who tried in vain to 
subdue or to conceal their feelings! What 
words can adequately depict a scene Jike 
this ? 



84 



WASHINGTON. 



On Saturday the last rites were paid to 
the distinguished men who laid down their 
lives on the deck of the Princeton. The 
funeral procession presented the most sad, 
solemn, affecting scene ever witnessed in 
this city of the Union. The President's 
House was again — as on the demise of 
General Harrison — made the receptacle of 
death. Instead of one, five bodies were 
now laid out in the lately illuminated east 
room of that fair mansion, which before the 
melancholy fate which there awaited Ge- 
neral Harrison in the first month of the first 
year of his presidential term, had never 
known a pall within its precincts. The 
first month of the last year of the same term 
found it again turned almost into a charnel 
house. Like ^'tlie Capets moyiiiment" it be- 
came ^^ a palace of dim night, ^* and gathered 
within its glopm the blackened and bloody 
remains of a most frightful tragedy — the 
bodies of five intimate friends of tlie Presi- 
dent, two of them his cabinet associates, all 
hiu'ried out of existence while he sat un- 



WASHINGTON, gg 

consciously, with only a plank between 
them, enjoying a song. What a thin par- 
tition in this life separates its scenes of 
greatest enjoyment and bitterest grief!! 

Religious rites were performed over the 
dead by the Rev. Mr. Hawley and Mr. But- 
ler, of the Episcopal Church, and Mr. Lau- 
rie, of the Presbyterian Ciiurch, before leav- 
ing the President's House. The bodies 
were then hearsed, and the procession led 
off by the military companies, which filled 
the avenue in front of the President's liouse. 
The military array, composed of horse, in- 
lantry, and artillery, made a very imposing 
appearance; and the train of carriages 
which followed extended along the avenue 
more than a mile. A vast nmltitude, on 
foot and on horseback, from the neighbor- 
ing cities and adjoining country, filled the 
spaces not occupied by the procession. The 
whole distance between the President's and 
the Capitol square, as far as the vision could 
reach throu2:h the darkness of the dav and 
the dust, seemed to be a living current, in 



SG 



WASHINGTON 



slow movement to the wailing and mourn- 
ful music of the band, which, with the sound 
of distant cannon and solemn-pealing bells, 
alone broke the silence. The immense 
crowd was perfectly mute in its march. 
The dread quiet that reigned over all; the 
almost twilight darkness that dimmed the 
whole day; the deep mists that shadowed 
the surrounding hills and horizon from sight; 
the cloud of dust that covered the long and 
gloomy procession; the sweeping trains of 
crape that blackened the closed windows 
and doors of the dwellings on the way, — 
gave, altogether, the most saddened and 
impressive aspect of wo ever worn by this 
city. It was rendered the more deeply af- 
fecting by the contrast of but a few days 
before, when the warmth of a vernal sun 
had shone out, giving light and gayety to 
our streets, opening the buds upon the trees 
and bringing out the tender green upon the 
grounds whereon the snow had so recently 
lain. 

The mournful ceremonials had just been 



WASHINGTON. 



87 



concluded, when the city was alarmed with 
the apprehension of another fatal accident 
to the Chief Magistrate himself. As he re- 
turned in his carriage of state from the place 
of interment, (the Congress hurying ground, 
about three miles from the President's 
House,) his horses took fright, and ran with 
fury along the great thoroughfare, filled 
with people and carriages. There was no 
arresting their wild career; the reins were 
broken in the attempt to restrain them, and 
all that could be done was to give room to 
their headlong flight. As they approached 
the turn in the end of the avenue, obstruc- 
ted by the President's square, they got 
scared at something on one side of the 
street, and shied oiT in their course to the 
curb-stone on the other side, which gave 
the advantage to an intrepid colored man 
on the side walk to seize them by the short 
reins and stop them. A little beyond, in 
the direction they were going, lay masses 
of the large stone rejected from the new 
treasury building, near the precipitous bank ' 



88 



WASHINGTON. 



to the south of the President's wall. Had 
not the career of the horses been arrested 
at the moment that it was, the next w oiild 
liave wrecked the carriage on these rocks, 
or precipitated it over the bank. The Pre- 
sident was happy to escape from his state 
equipage, over which all guidance and con- 
trol was lost, and find himself afoot, by the 
side of his humble deliverer. 



WASHINGTON. 



8^ 



CHAPTER IV. 

Mr. Dana's speech against the military Academy. — Objections — it is an ar- 
ie'.ocralic institution. — 1st in its selection of candidates — 2nd in its mono- 
poly of military commissions. — Its expenses are enormous and wholly 
disproportioned to any advantages to be derived from it. — lis positive 
evils, as it operates on the officers and on the private soldiers. — Mr. 
Dana might have added, that if this republic is in danger from any qnar- 
ter, its danger lies in this institution. 

Immediately after the funeral obsequies, 
Congress took up, on the 6th of March, the 
bill making appropriations for the Military 
Academy at West Point. Mr. Hale of New 
Hampshire, one of the best debaters in the 
House, moved to strike out the appropria- 
tion from the bill. On this occasion, Mr. 
Dana of New York delivered a powerilU 
speech in favor of the motion. The intrin- 
sic value of this speech entitles it to a place 
in our book, so that its home truths may be 
duly considered by all who read books or 
public documents. The institution itself 



90 



WASHINGTON'. 



should be given away to the regents of the 
University of New York, or to some litera- 
ry institution, and no longer be connected 
w ith the general government. But we pro- 
ceed to lay before the reader extracts from 
this elegant speech. 

Mr. Dana said: My first objection to the 
academy is, that it is an aristocratic institu- 
iion. It is aristocratic in its nature and cha- 
racter. It gives to a few individuals privi- 
leges which it denies to the many. Out of 
a population of eighteen or twenty millions, 
about one hundred individuals are annuallv 
selected as the exclusive recipients of the 
national bounty, and are paid and educated 
at the public expense, without making the 
least return for tlie benefits they receive. 
All other persons who draw pay or salaries 
from the government, perform services of 
some kind — often perhaps very inadequate 
but the cadets do nothing for the public ; 
make no return whatever. Their pay and 
education are mere gratuities. Is it just, 



WASHINGTON. 



91 



or right, or republican, thus to pamper a 
few at the expense of the community ? 

The institution is aristocratic in the man- 
ner oi selecting the cadets. Ihey are nomin- 
ated and virtually appointed by members 
of Congress. The privilege of appointing a 
cadet has become an appendage of a seat in 
this House. A member is thus enabled, at 
the public expense, to provide for a rela- 
tive, dependant, or favorite, by quartering 
him for life upon the treasury. He thus en- 
joys a patronage almost equal to his pay. 
Wliy should he have this extra privilege ? 
Are not members sufficiently compensated 
for their services ? If not, increase their 
pay ; but do not suffer them to quarter their 
dependants upon the public. Such a pri- 
vilege will be abused ; it cannot exist with- 
out abuse. It is not only unjust to the com- 
munity, but it is injurious to this House. 
Congress is called upon to legislate conti- 
nually in relation to the academy ; and will 
not such a patronage tend unconsciously to 
bias the judgment of members, however 



Q.^ WASHINGTON. 

pure their intentions ? It is not in the na- 
ture of man to be entirely impartial and in- 
different when his own interests are in- 
volved. But even if he succeeds in divest- 
ing himself of every improper influence, and 
acts with the strictest justice and propriety, 
his country's good his only object, he will 
be likely to gain little credit by it ; he will 
still be suspected. Men incapable of act- 
ing with the like nobleness themselves will 
be slow to believe it of others. I do not 
doubt that every member will act on this 
subject iTom the purest motives; but if ^\e 
would stand well with the country— if we 
would have full credit for disinterestedness 
with the people, we ought to divest our- 
selves of this patronage. 

Again, sir, if this power be confmed with- 
out check or control to members of Con- 
gress, will there not be danger of the insti- 
tution being aristocratic in the persons se- 
lected as cadets ? Whom will a member 
be most likely to nominate ? Will it not 
be a son or relative, or some one depend- 



WASHINGTON. r^o 

ent for support upon the member ? — or, if 
there happens to be none such, the son or 
friend of some wealthy or influential con- 
stituent whose influence the member de- 
sires to secure ? I would rejoice to find it 
otherwise. But when we examine the roll 
of cadets, and compare it with the lists of 
members of Congress, we find such a coin- 
cidence of names as I cannot attribute 
wholly to accident ; there must Iiave been 
some relationship between them to produce 
such a striking family likeness. . 

[Mr. Giddings. I wish to state a fact for 
the information of the gentleman. Some 
years ago, being applied to to nominate a 
cadet for my district, and having at that 
time a son of the proper age to enter the 
academy, I wrote to many of the prominent 
men of my district to send me the name of 
a candidate, and could not procure one.] 

Mr. Daj^a. The district of the gentleman 
from Ohio appears to a be very peculiar one ' 
in many respects. Unless I am greatly mis^ 
taken, relatives and connexions of niaiiy 
G 



Washington. 



94 

men of wealth and high stations have been 
educated at the pabHc expense at West 
Point, and the privilege has been highly 
coveted and eagerly sought by them gen- 
erallv, the sinsrle instance of the constitu- 
ents of the gentleman from Ohio to the con- 
trary notwithstanding. I am entirely oppo- 
sed to the whole system of educating any 
person, or class of peasons, at the public ex- 
pense ; but if some must be so educated, 
let them be selected for their merits — for 
their talents and virtues ; give the prefer- 
ence to the poor and to the oi'phan — they 
are the most needy and deserving— instead 
of bestowing the national bounty on the 
rich and influential, who have otlier means 
of education. I admit there have been many 
instances in which members, Avaiving all 
selfish considerations, (and I honor them for 
it,) have selected the most meritorious can- 
didate ; but as a general rule, in this con- 
test for patronage between wealth and 
power on the one side, and poverty on the 
other, it needs not the gift of prophesy to 



WASHINGTON. 



95 



determine which will triumph. If this Aca- 
demy shall he continued, I hope that, at 
least, its organization will be so changed as 
to secure to the poor a fair participation in 
its benefits. 

The institution is aristocratic in the mo- 
nopohj of militanj commissions which it se- 
cures to the cadets after they have received 
their education. It is not sufficient to ed- 
ucate them at the public expense, but they 
must also be provided for in the same way 
ever after, and that to in the most objec- 
L tionable form of a monopoly. No man, 
whatever may be his talents- or qualilica- 
tions, or his thirst for military fame^ can get 
into the army unless he enter through the 
gate of the West Point Academy, the only 
portal open to ambition. Thus every per- 
son who has passed the age of 21, without 
obtaining an appointment in the academy, 
and every person under 21 who does not 
graduate there, is disfranchised, and ren- 
dered incapable of holding a commission, 
lie may have spent his days in toil, and his 



96 



WASHINGTON. 



nights ill study, to qualify himself for his 
country's service ; he may have mastered 
all military science ; the fire of genius may 
burn bright in his soul ; he may be impelled 
by the purest patriotism, and be the " bra- 
vest of the brave;" but he comes not 
through the door of privilege — he has never 
o-raduated at West Point — he is rejected ! 
Is this the equality of your boasted institu- 
tions ? If '' all men are created equal/' thai 
equality is soon lost by congressional legis- 
lation. It is said that military science is 
necessary in the army, and that there is no 
institution except at West Point where it 
is taught. How can it be taught elsewhere^ 
The science acquired any where but at 
West Point is of no value to the possessor. 
Abolish the monopoly of military commis- 
sions, throw them open for competition to 
merit and science, wherever acquired, and 
there will be places enough for instruction 
in the art, without burdening the treasury, 
and a much wider range for the selection of 
officers will be afforded to you. West Point 



WASHINGTON. 



97 



is a beautiful and healthy place, and a 
strong military position ; but there is noth- 
ing in its air or climate, however salubrious, 
that in itself creates a soldier. It has the 
monopoly of commissions — not of qualifica- 
tions — the same instruction at another loca- 
tion would have equal effect in qualifying 
; an officer to command. I object to the in- 
stitution, because it is aristocratic, also, in 
the hahits and feelings which it inculcates. 
Petted as the cadets are, it would be surpri- 
sing if they did not become proud and vain. 
It is not their fault — your laws make them 
so. They are placed in such a position as 
to render the adoption of such feelings al- 
most inevitable. They alone have a public 
education at the expense of the nation. 
They are instructed in things which no 
other individuals have any motives for learn- 
ing — they only are deemed legally compe- 
tent for officers of the army; and they na- 
turally reason : '' If our services were not 
indispensable, we should not be educated at 
the public expense, If persons not educa- 



98 



WASfflNGTOX. 



ted at West Point were capable of perform- 
iiio- the duties of military commanders, we 
would not be allowed to monopolize mili- 
tary commissions. If the knowledge we 
have obtained could be had elsewhere, the 
United States would not, at great expense, 
erect and maintain the military academy. 
If our country could dispense with us, we 
should not be commissioned and retained 
for years under pay without employment. 
We alone have been educated for officers. 
All the military science of the nation centres 
in us; no others are qualified to command. 
We are a caste by ourselves — a military no- 
bility, on whom the fortunes of the country 
depend." Censure not these young men for 
their opinions. They are the legitimate 
fruits of your legislation — fair and just in- 
ferences from your enactments. But they 
are not, therefore, the less to be regretted. 
Such enactments are calculated to draw a 
wide hue of separation between the cadets 
and their fellow citizens ; to foster a spirit 
of pride and arrogance, and self-sufficiency, 



WASHINGTON. 



99 



on the part of the former, mixed with scorn 
and contempt of the multitude, to be re- 
turned by the latter with feelings of envy 
and detestation. Have not these consequen- 
ces resulted ? Does not, even now, an ill 
feeling exist between West Point and the 
country ? 

My next objection to the academy is, that 
the expenses are exorbitant, and greatly 
disproportioned to the benefits. 

A report made by the Secretary of War 
at the present session of Congress, states the 
expenditures to have been upwards of four 
million of dollars. Over seven hundred 
thousand dollars of that sum is the cost of 
the grounds, buiklings and fixtures, in the 
nature of capital, which camnot be consi- 
dered as entirely wasted, though they are 
of little value in any other respect than as 
connected with this institution. The residue 
amounting to 3,29 1 ,500 dollars, is stated as 
the current expenses of the institution — 
the cost of educating the cadets. Thi.s 



"S r\n WASHINGTON". 



00 

would amount to an annual expenditure of 
about 130,000 dollars. The number of ca- 
dets who have graduated, including those 
who are expected to graduate on the 30th 
of June next, amounts only to 1,231; each 
graduate, therefore, has occasioned an ex- 
pense to the nation of three thousand two 
hundred and fifty dollars; or, if we take 
only the current expenses, deducting what 
may be considered as an investment of ca- 
pital, the cost of each amounts to 2,673 dol- 
lars. But the amount thus reported by the 
Secretary of War, I understand, includes 
only the direct and immediate expenditures 
for the institution, and omits many expen- 
ses which the academy has indirectly occa- 
sioned. A friend who has carefullv inves- 
tigated the matter, and whose general ac- 
curacy I cannot doubt, makes the cost of 
each cadet who Graduates this year amount 
to five thousand dollars. All of the expen- 
ditures direct and indirect, by reason of the 
military academy, I have no doubt, exceed 
live millions of dollars, which is the cost of 



WASHINGTOxN". 



101 



educating 1,231 persons in military science 
sufficiently to qualify them for subaltern of- 
ficers in the army. A part of tliem have 
taken their commissions, and are employed 
in the public service. Some have declined 
to accept, others have resigned soon after 
their acceptance, while many have received 
commissions, and been placed on the roll 
of supernumeraries — officers without men 
to command, or military duties to perform. 
Those who liave graduated are by no means 
all who have entered the academy. Since 
1815 the whole number of students lias 
been 2,942. Deducting the 1,231 who 
have graduated, and are expected to gra- 
duate at the close of the present year, and 
there will remain 1,711 who have not gra- 
duated. Less than 200 remain at the aca- 
demy, and betv\^een 1,500 and 1,600 must 
liave left it without completing their edu- 
cation, or rendering any equivalent to the 
nation for the expense incurred for them. 
Perhaps, however, it is not a subject of re- 
gret that so many of the cadets have left 



102 



WASHINGTON. 



the institution, or been dismissed from it 
Avithoiit completing their education, and 
claiming their privilege of military commis- 
sions, as many more yet remain than we 
have the means of employing. The num- 
ber of cadets at the academy usually 
amounts to about 250 — the number annu- 
ally admitted to about 100, of whom about 
40 graduate. The army absorbs 22, and 
the remaining IS are supernumeraries, hold- 
ing brevet commissions, without active du- 
ties. It is rather a subject of congratula- 
tion, therefore, than of regret, that 60 out 
of a hundred of the students do not so per- 
severe unto the end as to entitle themselves 
to commissions, and become quartered for 
life upon the treasury; but it is not on this 
account less objectionable in principle thus 
to educate them at the public expense, with- 
out an equivalent, in service or otherwise. 
A law providing, in terms, that 100 students 
sliould be admitted annually into the aca- 
demy, and educated at the public expense 
—that 40 of them should be retained as of- 



WASHINGTON, j^Q3 

ficers of the army, and the remainder be 
discliarged from all claims for the instruc- 
tion they receive, and the expense they oc- 
casion, would be denounced as unjust and 
unconstitutional; but a law effecting indi- 
rectly precisely the same objects, receives 
not only the sanction, but the eulogies of 
the most strict constructionists. What can- 
not constitutionally be done directly, may 
be accomplished indirectly, ^^ ithout trench- 
ing upon the constitution. Be it so. I shall 
not raise a constitutional question here. 
My observation has taught me that the 
constitution is formed of materials very like 
India-rubber. It will stretch on the one 
side so as to admit anything a man desires 
to introduce, and close so tight on the other 
as to shut out everything he wishes to ex- 
clude. 

But to return to the question. I hold it 
to be a less evil to give the supernumerary 
cadets a gratuitous education, if the nation 
can be thereafter discharged from their sup- 
port, than to retain them as officers of the 



104 



WASHINGTO^N". 



army, when their services are not wanted. 
Ah'eady the supernumeraries, at the lowest 
estimate, amount to seventy, Avhose support 
and pay cost the nation nearly 70,000 dol- 
lars a year; and the number will be large- 
ly increased at the next examination, which 
occurs in June. Prior to the Florida war, 
the number of unemployed officers was 
much greater; but, at its commencement, 
resignations were 'Aplenty as blackberries." 
It is but justice, however, to those who re- 
tained their commissions, to say, that they 
fought gallantly and Avell in the most un- 
promising and disagreeable contest. 

Not only is the military academy an ari- 
stocratic and expensive institution, but it is 
also the parent of some 'positive evils. The 
iirst that I shall notice is the jealousies and 
controversies which it occasions between 
tlie officers of the army. Some of the offi- 
cers have been educated at West Pointy 
others have not. Most of the superior offi- 
cers have not enjoyed the advantages of 
that institution: nearly all of the inferior 



WASHINGTON. 



105 



officers have. Thus they are divided into 
two classes — ^the regular and the irregular. 
The cadets, having enjoyed greater advan- 
tages than their superiors — served a regular 
apprenticeship to their business, and en- 
tered the service by the only door the law 
now recognises — can hardly fail to look 
upon their superiors as unlearned, as mere 
intruders, the creatures of accident, as usur- 
pers of stations of right belonging to them- 
selves. Is it possible for such feelings to 
remain smothered for years in the bosom, 
like the hidden fire of a volcano, without 
occasional eruptions ? Will not such senti- 
ments be very apt to break out in overt acts 
of disrespect and contempt ? And will not 
the older officers, annoyed and disgusted by 
what they deem the vanity and presump- 
tion of the juniors, bo likely to meet this 
spirit by a haughty and imperious bearing, 
calculated and intended to mortify their 
pride, and check their assumptions? Have 
not the many quarrels and controversies, of- 
ten ending in courts of inquiry and courts- 



* r\n. WASHINGTON. 

martial, which have been so frequent in, 
and so disgracefiil to the army, originated 
principally in these conflicting sentiments ? 
Sir, I apprehend the difficulties have been 
so produced, and under the same circum- 
stances they will continue to occur, while 
human nature remains unchanged. Har- 
mony can no more be expected to exist be- 
tween two distinct classes of officers, so 
differently taught and appointed, than be- 
tw^een different sets of children in the same 
family, w hom all experience has show^n to 
be irreconcilable. 

The second positive evil I shall notice, is 
the effect produced upon the soldiery. By 
means of the Military Academy, the door 
to promotion is effectually closed against 
the men; the cadets having the exclusive 
right to preferment, and there being alrea- 
dy seventy supernumerary officers and the 
number anually increasing. Tlie soldier, 
thus excluded from promotion, has no in- 
centive to bravery or good conduct ; all he 
has to desire is to shirk danger and hard- 



WASHINGTON. 



107 



ship as miicb as he can, without incurring 
the risk of puuishuient. Does not this state 
of things necessarily degrade and demoral- 
ize the army ? Who would enlist into such 
a service ? None but the desperate and the 
vicious. Having no hopes, they can be in- 
fluenced only by their iears — the ties which 
should unite them to their leaders are all 
broken, and their obedience, instead of the 
submission of respect or affection^ becomes 
the base servility of apprehension, and a 
desire to escape bodily suffering. The of- 
ficers can regard such men as little better 
than brutes, to be controlled by fear and 
force, while the men look upon their offi- 
cers as tyrants, to whom they are compelled 
to yield an unwilling obedience. What mo- 
tive or feeling in the soldier can be appealed 
to as incentive to good conduct ? Ambition, 
hope, pride? All are crushed and blighted. 
Conscience ? Its voice is powerless with 
such men. Fear alone remains — the fear ot 
personal suffering; and to this the officers 
appeal. Hence, despite your laws, corpo- 



108 



WASHINGTON. 



ral punishment has been, and continues to 
be, and, I fear, will continue to be, inflicted. 
True, it is prohibited; but has the prohibi- 
tion banished it from the army? No; nor 
can it, until you so change the organization 
that the soldier will have other motives of 
action besides a fear of pimishment. A late 
court-martial has exemplified the operation 
of these feelings in the army. A soldier 
who had been committed to the j^uard-house 
for some misconduct, was brought out by 
an officer and severely beaten with a sword. 
The officer was arrainged before a court- 
martial for unofficer-like conduct in thus 
beating the soldier in violation of law and 
of the rules and articles of war; and the 
court-martial, although they found that the 
act was committed as charged, decided that 
no criminality was attached thereto, and 
honorably acquitted the accused. When 
the proceedings w^ere reported to the com- 
manding general, he disapproved of the de- 
cision, and ordered the court-martial to re- 
assemble to consider the case, and demand- 



WASHINGTON. 



109 



ed of the court by what law or order a 
soldier could be taken from the guard-house 
and beaten with a sword; and if there was 
none, that then the accused should be pun- 
ished according to law. The court reas- 
sembled, and reaffirmed its decision; and, 
the proceedings being reported to the War 
Department, were again sent back for re- 
comniendation and reconsideration, and the 
decision shown to be entirely erroneous. 
But the court-martial refused to chansfe its 
decision, and 1 regret to be obliged to say 
that the department tamely submitted. 
Now, it may be considered as an establish- 
ed principle, decided by a court-martial and 
acquiesced in by the government, that an 
officer may take an unprotected and impri- 
soned soklier, beat him with an implement 
not more dangerous or cruel than a sword, 
without being guilty of "unofficer-like con- 
duct," although it be in direct violation of 
law, and of the rules and articles of w^ar; 
and if the officer be arraigned for miscon- 
duct, he is entitled to an ''honorable ac- 
7 



J ] Q Washington. 

quittal." Perliaps it is necessary, as an act 
of justice to other officers, to add that the 
accused, and most of the members of the 
court were graduates of West Point. Is this 
the submission to the laws which is there 
inculcated ? — the respect for the rights of 
inferiors taught at that '' democratic i?istitii- 
iion?'[ After all, sir, the fault is as much in 
the system as in the men. By excluding 
every non-commissioned officer and private 
from promotion, you so degrade the armv, 
and destroy its moral power, that is difficult 
to govern it without the infliction of corpo- 
ral punishment. Abolish the West Point 
monopoly — open the way to merit for pro- 
motion from the ranks — and a new and far 
better class of soldiers will enlist in your 
service, a new spirit will pervade the army, 
obedience will be prompt and willing, emu- 
lation and hope will lead to acts of daring 
bravery, and you will gain in efficiency far 
more than you lose in science. 

The last evil I shall notice is the want of 
confidence, respect and attachment be- 



WASHINGTON. 



Ill 



tween the army and the people. The main 
reliance of this country for defence is, and 
ever must be, the militia. Anything, there- 
fore, which tends to prejudice the militia, 
or the mass of the people, against the army, 
should be cautiously avoided, as it is essen- 
tial to have them act in concert and har- 
mony. Whether merited or unmerited, it 
cannot be denied that the people, and espe- 
cially that portion of them which compose 
the militia, look upon West Point, and West 
Point officers, with great disfavor ; they are 
specially unpopular. If war should occur, 
and the army and militia be brought in con- 
tact, the most disastrous consequences might 
ensue from their dissensions. It would be 
difficult, perhaps impossible, to induce the 
militia to volunteer their services when 
they would be placed under the command 
of the cadets. In the objections I have 
made, and the views I have taken of West 
Point, I believe I have expressed the gene- 
ral sentiment of the militia of my district, 
and of the majority of the State I have the 



^ ^ Q WASHINGTON. 

honor in part to represent. Located, as the 
academy is, in the State of New York, its 
character and influences must be as well 
known and appreciated there as in any part 
of the Union; yet it has been repeatedly 
denounced by military conventions, com- 
posed of the most distinguished and en- 
hghtened men of that State. Believing it 
to be an expensive, extravagant, and anti- 
democratic institution of little use, the oc- 
casion of many controversies between the 
officers, and of discontent and degradation 
to the soldiers, I cannot give my vote for 
its continuance. 



WASHINGTON. 



113 



CHAPTER V. 

This chapter is serious, grave, gay and mysterious. — Good advice to Uncle 
8am.- — A dream which clears up the mystery of beards and mustaches, 
and accounts for some things, but cannot account for others, until the auth- 
or dreams again ; perhaps not even then ! — Inquiries and doubts, not an- 
swered or solved in this chapter. 

Should that time ever arrive w^hen the 
members of our state and national legisla- 
tures practise all the vices which the 
laws they make are apparently made to 
punish and prevent — what influence can 
their legislative acts exert on the commu* 
nity ? Why enact laws to prevent the com- 
mission of acts, which their own examples 
encourage and aid, and even induce ? If 
such legislators are often seen at the card 
table, in the race field, or at the nightly de- 
bauch, will not men in less honorable sta- 
tions continue to follow such blighting ex- 
amples ? Unless men in the highest, civil. 



114 



WASHINGTON. 



military and naval stations, pay due regard 
to the decencies of life, to the strict rules 
of morality, will persons in private life and 
in humble stations do better than their su- 
periors in office ? Because 'the rich man 
can afford to live in luxury, will not his ex- 
ample exert a bad influence on the poor, 
and on those whose means do not enable 
them to live a life of extravagance and 
wasteful expenditure ? What effect then 
have high salaries on this or any other com- 
munity ? Let any observing man look over 
this district, and then answer my question. 
We live in an age of innovation — in an age, 
when the passions are let loose, and when 
the pseudo reformers are busily engaged in 
their endeavors to uproot all our old, well- 
established forms of government, religion, 
morals and law. Like the largest oak on 
the Alleghanies, which has withstood the 
fury of the elements during five centuries,* 
we hope our institutions of all sorts may sur- 
vive the furious blasts of demagogues in 
morals, politics and religion. But if we 



WASHINGTON. ][]^5 

wish these institutions to last, we must stand 
by our colors, hanging out our banner on the 
outward wall, and manfully defend our fort- 
ress ao:ainst all the assaults of innovators — • 
of restless, rash and wicked men. We must 
.stand to our arms, and dare to meet every 
emergency, with blow for blow and gun for 
gun. Under the care of such guardians, 
liberty, religion and law have little to fear 
for the result. I thank God, that there are 
a considerable number of such men in this 
district, whom I well know and duly ap- 
preciate. 

These reflections grew out of my assoc>a- 
tions, sometimes not voluntary, but from ne- 
cessity, wiiere I heard, and was compelled 
to hear, every institution in the whole coun- 
try assailed by several noisy, ignorant and 
self-conceited men, conversing together so 
flippantly as to resemble the chatterings of 
*>o many monkeys, and with less good sense 
than is possessed by the animals they so 
much resembled in their gestures, noise 
and frivolity. 



] Jg WASHINGTON. 

During a long session of Congress, as the 
first session of each Congress is sometimes 
called, assembled here from all parts of the 
Union, may be seen true and faithful repre- 
sentatives of every party, sect, faction and 
even fragments of all these parties and fac- 
tions. Democrats, whigs, nullifiers, aboli- 
tionists, and all other crals, isms and ists. 
They are all busy, all active, sometimes noi- 
sy, boisterous and persevering. Could each 
one of them be believed, all the world will 
soon come over to their several creeds. 
Poor fellows! we suspect that the world 
wmII still roll on in its own orbit, around the 
sun, and the puny, tiny insects that are now 
buzzing about here, will all pass off and be 
gone far away, before dogdays come. 

In this Babel, as it is just now, the peo- 
ple of the district refrain mostly from enter- 
ing much into the feelings, interests and 
views of the visiters from a distance. The 
letter writers, the speculators, office seek- 
ers, and the office suckers, the courtiers and 
the courtezans will leave the city when 



WASHINGTON. J^T 

* 

Congress rises. While Congress sits, all the 
crowd will continue to haunt the public 
places and the public offices. One w^ould 
naturally enough conclude, that in a city, 
no larger than this, where some three mil- 
lions of dollars are annually expended by 
members of Congress and by visiters, mo- 
ney would be plenty and the citizens would 
be all wealthy; but that is not the case. 
What becomes of such a vast sum ? Shall 
I answer my own question ? I will answer 
it, and confess, that I do not know, and can- 
not even imagine what becomes of it. It 
disappears from our sight, and those who 
have handled the most money, appear to 
be in the greatest distress for the means of 
paying their just debts! Perhaps there are 
exceptions to my general rule, but the ex- 
ception proves the general rule to be a cor- 
rect one. House rent, being very high, is 
assigned as the cause of much distress to 
renters. Some of these houses were built 
very cheaply, fourteen years since, by the 
joint labors of brick makers, brick layers. 



118 



WASHINGTON. 



joiners and carpenters, who hired their day 
laborers at the low price of twelve and a 
half cents a day, besides board ! So the 
day laborers used to tell me, at the time 
they were thus employed. Their asser- 
tions, as to their compensation, might have 
been untrue, but circumstances satisfied me 
at the time, that they told me the truth. 
Possibly these day laborers did not work 
all day. 

In some instances it is possible that quite 
t^o many persons follow some particular 
calling, to allow it to be profitable to any 
one of that calling. Is the competition too 
gi'eat ? All the nation, I need not say, can- 
not live at the seat of the national govern- 
ment. I should doubt, too, Avhether all 
things being duly considered, this is the 
best place in which to rear a family of 
children, or one consisting mostly of young 
people. More or less dissipation and vice 
will always surround the seat of this govern- 
ment. Move the capitol where we will, the 
turkey-buzzards, perhaps the same birds. 



WASHINGTON, -[IQ 

will follow it, and build their nests under 
the eaves of the treasury building. Their 
bills will always be thrust their whole 
lengths into Uncle Sam's purse and Uncle 
Sam's pocket. 

Address to Uncle Sam. 
" Unfortunate old uncle ! you have a great 
many lazy, idle, w^orthless pets, whom you 
do wrong, very wrong, to support in idle- 
ness, sloth and dissipation. Are you sure. 
Sir, that you are acting the part of a pru- 
dent, discreet and excellent old gentleman, 
so long as you indulge such pets in practi- 
ces so repugnant to your better nature, in 
your earlier years and better days ? I do 
not expect you to turn them out to grass, 
as Nebuchadnezzar was turned out in days 
of yore ; but certainly, the prairies of Illi- 
nois would afiord them a better pasture, 
than this sterile district does. Alas! Sel- 
LONs' Hefectory is preferred by them, to 
all the prairies of the West, blooming with 
tall grasses and the most brilliant and beau- 
tiful flowers, and a mint julep to any other 



120 



WASHINGTON 



vegetable. Of all the fowls of the air, some 
of them prefer the wing of an ox, whereas 
others prefer the oyster to every other bird 
of passage! Pray, Sir, be wise in time, put 
all your sons into some honest calling, 
whereby they may get an honest liv ing and 
pay their honest debts, by their industry, 
economy and enterprise. Do this forthwith, 
or you will become a bankrupt in fame, for- 
tune and resources and be compelled to take 
the benefit of the act for the relief of insolv- 
ent debtors. You own a great many large 
houses here, which cost you a great deal of 
money, but are there no mortgages on them 
which may be foreclosed ? That being done, 
shall we not soon afterwards see all your 
household furniture, your carpets, your ta- 
bles, chairs, beds and bedding exposed to 
a public sale, on some market morning, op- 
posite the market-house, on the avenue ? — 
Good bye. Sir." 

P. S. — A large lot furniture and a great 
lottery wheel, from the War office, were 
offered for sale at auction the other day on 
the avenue. 



WASHINGTON. iq^ 

Among the mysteries of this mysterious 
city, take the following : Soon after my re- 
turn from New York, I went all alone into 
the monumental square, east of the capitol, 
to discover what a certain low ill-looking 
shanty contained. On entering the build- 
ing, I saw a statue o{ Jupiter Tonans, easing 
himself, without a shirt on his back, hold- 
ing a thunderbolt in his right hand! Every 
wrinkle and every feature of his face, and 
his Roman dress, without a shirt, and coated 
with dust, proved to me at a glance of the 
eye, in a moment, that some Italian had 
either stolen and brought off the oriirinal 
statue, or he had exactly copied it; and 
that some one had placed it here, for the 
purpose of setting up the worship of Jupiter 
here at the seat of the national government! 
And this in a christian country, in this nine- 
teenth century ! Until I saw this statue 
here standing, I did suppose that Christiani- 
ty, in her onward march, from the banks of 
the Jordan to our farthest West, had over- 
thrown the pagan religion, and had erected 



WASHINGTON. 



the cross wherever Jupiter Tonans and his 
kindred gods had once stood. After ex- 
aim ning the statue of this heathen deity, I 
looked, and behold it stood on a granite 
rock, inscribed: "WASHINGTON!" That 
Washington was well represented by a 
block of granite, I was not prepared either 
to affirm or deny, but that any one could 
with any sort of propriety introduce into 
this square, the worship of Rome's old pa- 
gan gods, I do deny, and will maintain my 
denial on substantial grounds of correct 
taste. The old story of Jupiter Tonans, \{ 
my memory serves me, after having read it 
forty-four years ago, for the last time, I be- 
lieve is this. Some lloman emperor, per- 
haps Augustus, was being carried along in 
a litter, when one of his bearers was instant- 
ly killed by lightning. The emperor, from 
a sense of gratitude to ^'The Thunderer," 
for sparing his own life, promised to erect, 
and finally did erect a temple, dedicated to 
*'the thundering Jupiter'' and placeil his 
statue in it, in the very act of darting hi» 



WASHINGTON. 



123 



deadly bolt. Who would have thought 
that that statue would have been transport- 
ed here, and erected for the adoration of the 
pagans in this christian country ? Paganism 
in Washington, in the nineteenth century ! 
Why not forthwith get up lectures and send 
around beggars to crave money in order to 
stop its further progress ? 

To say that Congress ought not to en- 
courage ingenious foreign artists at all, 
would be contrary to our feelings and to all 
our history, but our own artists should have 
a preference^ all other things being equal. 
And I do not say, that our artists may not 
with great propriety go to Europe and there 
study the best labors of the best artists. But 
let our Americans carry with them Ameri- 
can hearts, and return to us untinged with 
European feelings, and not be imbued eith- 
er with the ideas of paganism. Washing- 
ton clad in a Roman dress, instead of his 
American uniform ! Daniel Boone dressed 
in a toga, instead of his Western hunting- 
shirt ! An American Indian in a toga, fight- 



124 



WASHINGTON. 



ing a battle in a personal contest, instead 
of bis being clad in bis simple breecb clout! 
Wby sucb sigbts are presented to us bere, 
is a mystery — a mystery of Wasbington city 
V< wbicb I cannot unfold to tbe reader. So of 
*^*?e/ the pedestal of a statue of Marsball, resting 
7 on tbe beads of infants, wbose moutbs are 
^f wide open, rendered so apparently by the 
pressure on tbe top of their skulls. Wbose 
absurd taste produced these abortions ? To 
mingle paganism with the ideas of Christi- 
anity in our statues and in our architecture, 
is in bad taste, especially in this age, With- 
in about three hundred years after the 
death of the Founder of our religion, against 
the superstition of Jews and pagans, against 
the ridicule of their wits and the reason- 
ings of their sages, against the craft of their 
politicians, the power of their kings and tbe 
prowess of their armies, against the axe, 
the cross and tbe stake, Christianity ascend- 
ed the imperial throne, and waved her broad 
banner in triumph over the palace of the Cae- 
sars. Her march and conquests extended 



WASHINGTON. 



125 



to every part of the then civilized world. 
The idols and all the gods of paganism fell 
down prostrate, before the onward march 
of Christianity, and who will now, set up 
these idols here, for the worship of Ameri- 
cans ? Away then with these gods and god- 
desses — away with Mercury and his rod, 
with Minerva and Venus and Cupid, they 
are blemishes, not beauties, they are pagan 
and not christian, barbarous and not civil- 
ized sio'ns of the times. We want a Con- 
gress sufficiently christian to overthrow 
these idol gods, and all idol worship in the 
capitol. The ancient Greeks and Romans 
have long since gone down to their graves, 
and even their gods have perished from off 
the face of the earth. Why dig them up 
and bring them here to imbue the minds of 
our youth with pagan ideas ? 

With a view to learn the mystery of wear- 
ing unnatural beards, some filled vvith ver- 
jnin, and some with ginger bread ! some re- 
sembling those of Saracens, Turks and 
Russians, I visited Lipscomb's near Gads- 
8 



12Q WASHINGTON. 

by^s, on the avenue, and M'Cubbin's on 
Eighth street, and there gravely sat often 
for a long time, studying beards and mus- 
taches, but in vain. At last I came home 
to my lodgings at Mrs. Tilley's on Tenth 
street, nearly opposite Peter Force's large 
library, and falling asleep in my Ocisy arm- 
chair, a form stood before me in my dream, 
v^atli mild aspect a sympathising look, she 
thus addressed me : '' Let not tliv thousrhts 
about beards and mustaches trouble thee, 
because I am sent to reveal to thee the sub- 
Jime mysteries of beards and mustaches. 
All men are created wath certain propensi- 
ties, and He who made them, has marked 
them, so that their propensities may be 
known as soon as the eye sees them. Eu- 
ruchs have little or no beards, but a man 
whose disposition is Saracenic, Turkish, 
Tartarean, Gothic, barbarous or christian, 
has given him a beard in accordance with 
his natural disposition. But if he is like, in 
all respects, a goat, in smell and sensuality, 
a goat's beard is given him and he wears it. 



WASHINGTON. 



127 



leading about some frail female, dressed in 
silk velvet, while his wife with six small 
children, and one at the breast is left to 
starve at home. Such a man wall never 
buy or read thy book, otherwise he wall 
buy it. In compassion to thee, I further in- 
form thee, that as to beards full of vermin, 
that circumstance is owing to the poverty 
of their owners, whose purses do not con- 
tain money enough to pay for a comb ! 
Those beards which contain ginger bread, 
it is owing to a fact wiiich is as w^ell known 
to me, as it is to this whole city, that many 
of the bearded race are so poor, that I have 
seen twelve of them contribute a cent a 
piece, to purchase a large roil of ginger 
bread ; they would then tie a cord around 
its centre and suspend it to the ceiling over 
their heads in the middle of the room, and 
seating themselves flat on the floor, in a cir- 
cle, and in that position each one of them 
would catch a bite, as the ginger bread 
was whirled around from mouth to mouth. 
And although every mouth was wide open 



128 



WASHINGTO^r. 



like an anaconda's when swallowing a rab- 
bit, yet, sometimes the roll struck the beard 
and got entangled in it, until the mouth 
was filled with the delicious morsel. The 
beard itself retained the roll, until some of 
the beard stuck to the roll. The fragments 
of tobacco in the beard, are to be accounted 
for in the same way." I awoke, refreshed 
in body and in mind, having had revealed 
to me one of the greatest mysteries of this 
city. My mind is now at ease about that 
mystery, because I know every man I see 
on the avenue, by the beard he wears, 
w hether he is civilized or savage, rich or 
poor. If he is able to get shaved without 
running in debt for shaving, he is shaved 
clean and smooth. Has he a beard like a 
goat's; his beard proves him to be one that 
w ill stand on the left hand. And so of all 
the other signs, they are all revealed to 
me, and I, wdthout fee, tell the reader all 
about it. 

There are other mysteries in this city of 
mysterieS; wliich I cannot find out, although 



WASHINGTON. 



129 



I have slept in my easy armed chair and on 
my pillow time and again. 

What the vSenate will do about the Tex- 
an treaty ? whether they wiU discuss its 
merits public or privately ? whether they 
will stay here, until they have gone through 
their long docket of nominations, now be- 
fore them ? Whether the House will con- 
tinue to sit until they complete their busi- 
ness not yet finally acted on ? or whether 
they will go home soon, and the people 
thereby lose all the benefit of what has 
been begun, I cannot divine in this chapter^ 



130 



WASHINGTOxV. 



CHAPTER VI. 

Officers of both houses of Congress. — Vice President Mangxim. — Speaker 
Jones. — Members of Congress, their labors and unenviable state. — Elo- 
quence of members. — Senators Choate, Crittenden. Morehead, &c. &c. — 
The Tariff, Oregon and Texas to go down to the foot of the docket and b& 
postponed until next session of our honorable court. 

Officers of both Houses of Congress. 

In the Senate^ the Honorable Willie P. 
Mangum presides. John Tyler, the Vice 
President, on the death of General Harri- 
son became President of the United States. 
The Senate thereafter elected Samuel 
Southard, their presiding officer, he dying, 
they elected Judge Mangum their president. 
He lives, Avhen at home, in Orange county, 
North Carolina. From his name, I should 
suppose that his ancestors were from Wales. 
However that may be, Judge Mangum 's 
family is an ancient one in North Carolina, 



WASHINGTON, ^Si 

the name being found among the earliest 
settlers of that colony. He presides in the 
Senate and occupies the Vice President's 
room in the capitoi. He is a man above 
the common size, of fair complexion and 
commanding air, rather grave in his man- 
ners, but very agreeable and appears to be 
kind hearted. His voice is clear, sufficient- 
ly loud and distinct to be heard all over the 
Senate chamber and its gallery. On the 
whole, he is, taking him all and all, the best 
presiding officer, that I ever saw in any le- 
gislative assembly. He is always at his 
ease, always tlignified and always agreea- 
ble. His appearance is that of a man about 
forty years old. He is a whig, unwavering 
and unllinching, yet, like the Kentucky 
Senators, not a persecuting whig, often vot- 
ing to confirm men in offices, who are not 
whigs, nor any thing else — long. He ap- 
pears to look more to the interests of his 
country than his party. When I say this, 
I mean to draw no invidious distinctions be- 
tween Judge Mangum and others in the 



132 



WASHINGTON. 



Senate. The feelings of senators must have 
been often severely tried by having pre- 
sented to them the names of very incompe- 
tent men. Where the man is not decided- 
ly a bad one, though wanting decision of 
character, without which no man can be re- 
lied on, in any pressing emergency, the 
vSenate let him pass as Hopson's choice, 
becpaise they expect nothing better. In 
this way they have confirmed many no- 
minations which I should have rejected at 
once, as destitute of a qualification, without 
possessing which, no man is ^li for any office 
or any calling. So far-as Ohio is concerned, 
not even one appointment of a citizen of 
that State, has been a good one, nor such 
an one as I would have made, during the 
last two years. I feel no hostility to any 
one of these weak men, but wish they had 
belonged to some other State, not to ours. 
Where the imbecility of a country is placed 
in the offices, it shows the strength of our 
institutions and the virtue of our people, 
which can get along tolerably well, though 



WASHINGTON. 



133 



such weak men are appointed to offices. 
To have found so much imbecility, so care- 
fully selected from the very surface of socie- 
ty, must have cost those a vast deal of la- 
bor, care and diligence, who have succeed- 
ed so well, so perfectly in hunting it up, and 
in bringing it forward to the President and 
his secretaries for their acceptance and gra- 
tification ! It is a strong argument in favor 
of the permanency of our institutions, which 
can bear such appointments. The Senate 
appear to be as hungry for the nomination 
of men well qualified for the offices to which 
they are nominated, as any trout ever was 
for a. well baited hook — they jump at them 
in a moment and unanimously confirm them. 
The confirmation of Calhoun's appointment 
as Secretary of State is a case in point. The 
nevv^s spread like wildfire, and fell upon the 
ear like the roar of a water fall in the ear of 
a thirsty traveller, in the desert of Sahara. 
AsBURY Dickens is clei'k of the Senate, 
and a better clerk of that body could not 
have been found in the Union. 



1^34 WASI^NGTON. 

Edward Dyer is sergeant-at-arms, and 
he is an excellent ojfficer. 

In the House of Representatives, John 
W. JojvEs is the speaker. He appears to un- 
derstand the rules of the House pretty well, 
but owing to the weakness of his voice, or 
to the structure of the room, perhaps, we 
should attribute something to each cause, I 
cannot hear speaker Jones at all, on any oc- 
casion, from any location in the room which 
I have ever been permitted to occupy, by 
the courtesv of the House. 

Caleb J. M'Nulty is clerk of this House, 
and a better clerk, a more obhging one, 
more correct, more industrious, more atten- 
tive to all liis duties as a clerk, more oblig- 
ing, polite, and in all respects capable and 
faithful, never filled the clerk's office. M. 
St. Clair Clarke, his predecessor in office, 
although applauded constantly for his good 
qualities of ail sorts, yet our Ohio man does, 
for aught I can see, as well as M. St. Clair 
Clarke himself ever did in his best days. 

Among the ladies attending on this ses- 



WASHINGTON. 



135 



sion of Congress, we mention with pleasure 
and pride Mrs. M'Nultv, wife of the clerk 
of the House. She was born and educated 
in Ohio. She is beautiful in form and man- 
ners and does honor to our Buckeye State. 

This handsome couple are young in 
years, just beginning the world and bid 
fair to live long and be useful in the world, 
and be ornaments of Ohio. Prosperity and 
success to them ! 

Doctor Lane of Louisville, Kentucky, is 
the sergeant-at-arms in the House, and he 
is a very gentlemanly, faithful and atten- 
tive oiHcer. 

The door-keeper, Jesse E. Dow, and the 
postmaster, John M. Johnson, are as good 
officers as need be, and they give general 
satisfaction. 

Members of Congress^, generally speak- 
ing, are not idle men by any means. Be- 
sides their attendance on the daily sessions 
of the two houses, they are on committees, 
which occupy no small portion of the day, 
and, sometimes they are in their committees 



136 



WASIIINOTON. 



to a late hour at night. The more labori- 
ous part of the members work more hours, 
than any farmer does in the country. Some 
of them have a great correspondence with 
their constituents and others. They are 
obliged to call at the public offices, on the 
business of those whom they represent. 
Some members, who represent the farmers 
of the interior, have little to do, and such 
members, are not often chairmen of impor- 
tant committees, and they may lead an easy 
life. Those who represent large cities, or 
many commercial people, have more than 
they can find time to do it in. The same 
remark applies to those who represent ma- 
nufacturing districts. Delegates from Ter- 
ritories, like the Dodges, father and son, 
have an immense amount of business to do, 
and a great correspondence to carry on. 
Such men labor nifi^ht and dav. Calls on 
them, made by their constituents and by 
others from all parts of the Union, interrupt 
them a good deal. General Vance, chair- 
man of the committee of claims, performs 



WASHINGTON. 



137 



daily a very laborious task. So far as Ohio 
is concerned, in sending representatives to 
both houses, I am sure that we have little 
reason to complain of their remissness or in- 
attention to the duties of their station. 
There is not a dissipated man among them 
nor an idler. So far as 1 know, they faith- 
fully attend to all their business in Con- 
gress. Their per diem, eight dollars, seems 
to be a very liberal compensation for their 
services, but after paying all their bills for 
living here, very little remains. Those 
who have families here, actually fall in debt, 
and have to borrow money to pay a part of 
their expenses. A very considerable num- 
ber of the members have their wives with 
them — and where they have daughters and 
female relatives, their compensation is 
wholly inadequate to pay their expenses. 
The ladies visit the library often and there 
read and amuse themselves, or they sit in 
the gallery of the House, listening to the 
debates. The families of such members as 
are able to bring them here, appear to be 



138 



WASHINGTCXN. 



quite happy. By associating with many re- 
spectable, well informed and polite people, 
they learn a great deal of the world and its 
affairs. They become personally acquainted 
with the first men in the nation. In this 
way they can form a more correct estimate 
of such men, their character, dispositions, 
manners, habits and talents. In vain do 
we look into newspapers, pamphlets and 
periodicals for correct ideas concerning 
these men. They are much better, or not 
so bad, as common report makes them. 
Though I had known Mr. Calhoun forty 
years, by common report, and, although I 
had seen him often presiding in the Senate 
chamber, yet until I sat down beside him 
in his office, and had conversed with him 
sometime, I had never had any correct ideas 
of the man at all. I had always been told, 
that he was impetuous, sour and morose, 
but I found him to be the mildest, kindest 
and most agreeable man I ever saw\ I was 
truly astonished at the contrast between 
the man as he really was, and the one he 



WASHINGTON. 



139 



was represented to be ! I was agreebly dis- 
appointed in many others. With the char- 
acter of our western rnen I was ifi no case 
deceived, because I knew them either per- 
sonally or from correct sources of informa- 
tion. For instance, although I had never 
seen the Kentucky senators, yet I found 
them, Crittenden and Morehead, as agree- 
able, as well informed, as friendly, kind and 
conciliating in their manners, as I had al- 
ways understood they were. 

By mhigling in such society, our young 
men may acquire . a fund of information, 
which may be of great value to them in af- 
ter life. 

Though I knew Colonel Benton person- 
ally vrell and knew him to be a man of 
kind feelings towards his friends, and even 
towards many who are not friendly to hint, 
yet, he is often represented as malignant 
and overbearing. It is not true, because at 
the bottom of his heart there is a ffreat deal 
of good feeling. He cannot always suppress 
the exhibition of his better nature, even to- 



140 



WASHINGTON. 



wards open and avowed political opponents. 
So of our senators, Tappan and Allen, the 
whiffs of .Ohio believe that these senators 
are their enemies, but I always found them 
very friendly to me, doing me many favors 
and no injury — quite the reverse. They 
have their own political creed, differing 
from mine in some respects, but they en- 
deavor to serve their constituents when 
they come here, even if they are whigs. 

Those who have been long in Congress 
can be much more useful to their constitu- 
ents, than those who have had less experi- 
ence. Understanding all the rules of pro- 
ceeding, they know how to take advantage 
of circumstances, wiien to make a motion, 
and the exact moment when to oppose an 
opponent. They say less and more to the 
purpose. Young men are quite apt to be 
impetuous, hasty and rash, and thus often 
get overwhelmed by a more cool, deliber- 
ate member. John Quincy Adams is the 
hardest man to deal with in the House. 
Understanding all the rules of legislation, 



WASHINGTON. 



141 



with a large store of information, he is some- 
times sarcastic and witty, sometimes pro- 
found and those who attack him always 
come off second best. Of all the attacks 
on Mr. Adams this session, C. J. IngersolFs 
was the most unfortunate for the assailant. 
Mr. Wise related the whole of it to me in 
the library, immediately after the assault 
was made and the chastisement which In- 
gersoll got. Mr. Wise condemned C. J, 
Ingersoll, as every one else did, for his be- 
haviour towards an aged, respectable man, 
whose public services, years learning and 
talents ought to command and do command 
the respect of all good men in the nation 
Any member of Congress who respects him- 
self, will always be treated with respect, 
because he deserves it. Any young man, 
who thinks to obtain any advantage by as- 
sailing Mr. Adams, will find himself to have 
made a false calculation. 

The Senators preserve their own dignity, 
and do not mingle much with the turbu- 
lence around them. They are often mis- 
9 



142 



WASHINGTO?f. 



represented by malignant letter writers, 
and the falsehoods they invent, have a wide 
circulation. These Senators cannot devote 
lip their time to explanations and contra- 
dictions of such misrepresentations. They 
have something else to do. 

I will state an instance in point. About 
the time that the speculators in Texan land 
scrip, began their operations, to effect efn 
annexation of Texas to this Union, some 
letter writer pretended to tell exactly how 
ail the Senators would vote on that ques- 
tian. A number of the members of that "' 
body told me, "that they had neither made ; 
up nor expressed any opinion on that sub- 
ject." I afterwards ascertained from the 
highest source of information, that not a few 
vSenators would not vote as the speculators 
had predicted they woidd, but exactly the 
reverse. Such miscalculations are daily 
made by interested or malicious persons, 
who hover around the capitol. Seeing the 
papers from a distance, and conversing with 
the members on the subjects treated of by 



WASHINGTON. l JO 

the letter writers, induced me finally to 
distrust all I saw, coming from such a pol- 
luted source. These falsehoods do their 
authors no good, but often an injury. Placed 
as members of Congress are on a pinnacle, 
in view of a whole nation, unless they pos- 
sess well ballanced minds, they are not to 
be envied. They have rivals at home, some- 
times ready to misrepresent their motives, 
their services and their talents. There is 
always requisite, the constant exercise of 
one virtue, at least, which is patience, and 
they must labor incessantly to gratify friends 
at home, who expect at their hands more 
than they can do for them. To be a mem- 
ber of Congress, requires talents of all sorts 
— great industry, great attention to busi- 
ness, constant care, strength of body and 
strength of mind. Members of Congress, 
who make a figure as orators, can do little 
indeed for individuals among their friends. 
Moving in a higher sphere, they aim at some 
high station — to be a minister abroad, a Sec- 
retary, or to obtain some lucrative ollicec 



144 



WASHINGTON. 



Apparently laboring for the public good, 
their real object is frequently very selfish. 
Such men have rivals among their own par- 
ty, and all their political opponents are op- 
posed to them. If they succeed to their 
hearts' content, how long does their pros- 
perity last ? In a few short years their race 
is run and they are seldom mentioned, but 
oblivion covers them from our view and 
even from our thoughts. Those w^ho figured 
on the stage at some great era in our na- 
tional affairs, and stood high then, are re- 
membered with affection and gratitude, but 
the little party politician is forgotten as soon 
as he walks off the stage. In this changing 
world, how soon is the mere demagogue 
forgotten 1 In his day, he impre«.ses his re- 
tainers w ith the idea, that, unless some fa- 
vorite theory is adopted, all is lost. It is 
exploded, he disappears from our sight, and 
the world moves on in safety. There is an 
elasticity in the American character, not 
existing to the same extent in any other na- 
tion. Under any great national disappoint- 



WASHINGTON. -j ^^ 



O 



ment, there may be, and there is, sometimes 
a season of national gloom, but recovering 
from such a state of mind, our people rouse 
up all their wonted courage, and confiding 
in their own strength, they move onward to 
new enterprises, entertain new hopes, and 
finally realise, and frequently more than 
realise all their most sanguine expecta- 
tions. In the natural world, the storm and 
the tornado may be as necessary as the 
clear sunshine and the gentle shower, and 
why should the mental w^orld differ from 
the natural one in this respect ? " This is a 
crisis," says the demagogue— '' a nation's . 
fate depends on the issue of this crisis," but 
the mighty crisis passes by as harmless as 
the Zephur's breath in May moves over the 
meadow. These getters up of crises are, 
on the whole, quite a harmless set of be- 
ings. They keep up a ripple on the oceaia 
of human life and prevent a dead calm in 
the political ocean. In this session of Con- 
gress I have seen none of these crises and 
panic makers in the two houses. The de- 



146 



WASHINGTON. 



bates on the twenty-first rule, on the Ore- 
gon question, on the army bill, on the tariff 
and some other topics were ardent, long 
and exciting, but they did not produce a 
very angry debate. These several storms 
passed over without doing much harm, like 
a squall of wind without hail, or even much 
rain descending to deluge the earth. 

During Dr. Hammet's speech on the 21st 
rule, I had a place, through the Doctor's 
politeness, a seat in the body of the House, 
from which, by standing on my feet, I saw 
every member in his place, and witnessed 
the effect on the countenances of members, 
which that speech produced. Those pas- 
sages which turned sixty faces pale, pro- 
duced convulsive laughter among the rest 
of the members. The countenance of Mr. 
Adams never changed from a serene aspect, 
whereas the Ohio members mostly looked 
unmoved as marble, in no wise excited by 
the topics, except when the speaker alluded 
to the old maids of Massachusetts. When 
they were introduced into his speech, our 



WASHINGTON. 



147 



members were taken by surprise, and they 
laughed immoderately. Even Gen. Vance, 
Judge Dean and all, with all their usual 
gravity, laughed heartily, and forgot to be 
ffrave. The hit was a fair one and well de- 
served. Female fanatics are doing some 
harm, and can do no good. On questions, 
and even doubtful ones of great national 
importance, our females would show more 
wisdom to be silent, than to press forward 
on the sta^e in buskins to show themselves 
as players. "^ 

Many persons think the members do 
wrong to indulge themselves in so much 
speaking, but better make long speeches 
than pass many bad laws. That too many 
laws are made by state, territorial and na- 
tional legislation is certain. The mania for 
speech making is not as bad as many sup- 
pose it to be — it is the safety valve that lets 
off the superfluous steam, otherwise boilers 
would burst, and blow into fragments the 
vessel of state. Viewed in this light, we 
can tolerate it from motives of sympathy for 



148 



WASHINGTON. 



the afflicted. Another good effect flows 
from these long speeches, while they are 
delivered, members can go into the library, 
the lobby or the rotundo and amuse them- 
selves or converse with their friends. The 
speech being made, it can be printed and 
sent home to their constituents. They are 
pleased and thus many ends are answered 
by the delivering of a speech. 

Eloquence of Members oe Congress. — 
Under this head I shall not say much, for 
several reasons. The chambers are but 
poorly calculated for hearing in them ; the 
places occupied by those who wish to hear 
and report speeches, are not such ones as 
they should be, if hearing be the object of 
those who sit in them ; the noise necessari- 
ly made by three hundred persons, moving 
about and sometimes talking and whisper- 
ing; the opening and sluitting of doors and 
the confused din, attendant on such an as- 
semblage of men; the many objects, such 
as the Ladies in the galleries of the House, 
naturally draw off the eye from the deba- 



WASHINGTON. 



149 



ter, the ear from the sound of his voice and 
the mind from the subject in discussion. 
With aJl these abatements and all these im- 
pediments, we need not wonder if the 
speeches are not very correctly reported, 
they being so imperfectly heard when they 
are delivered. This circumstance gives rise 
to every day explanations, almost, in both 
houses, to correct erroneous reports of 
speeches. But with all these impediments, 
there is a very consid-erable number of good 
speakers, especially in the Senate. It is 
possible, however, that the Senate's cham- 
ber being a place wherein one can hear 
better than in the gallery of the other house, 
may have had quite an influence on my 
opinion in this particular. Senator Choate 
is quite a favorite among his friends, as an 
orator. His voice is clear, sufficiently loud 
and distinct ; his method is clear, his lan- 
guage elegant, often beautiful j the impres- 
sion which he makes on the hearer is high- 
ly agreeable. He rises neither too high nor 
sinks too low for his subject, but flies along 
over the subject at a suitable elevation. He 



25Q WASHINGTON'. 

looks as if he were a man of great labor^ 
and not in very good health. He appears 
to be care-worn, and as if he was over- 
wprked by the incessant toils of his station. 
I have no personal acquaintance with him, 
and speak merely from what I saw .of him 
a few moments at Dr. SewalFs, and from 
hearing him in the Senate chamber a few 
times. Pie is the brother-in-law of the Doc- 
tor and lodges at his house. Mr. Choate 
represents the manufacturing and commer- 
cial classes and has a laborious task to per- 
form, in opposition to restless men, who, it 
appears to me, mistake their OAvn interest 
in opposing commerce and manufactures. 

John J. Crittenden, a senator from Ken- 
tucky, is a most delightful speaker. With 
a melodious voice, clear method, clear sen- 
tences, in which every word is fitly chosen, 
so that no one could be changed for any 
other word in its location that woidd do as 
well in its place. His arguments are lucid, 
his manner is so fascinating that he is a 
piodel of forensic eloquence in a pariiameu- 



WASHINGTON. J5I 

tary debate. Honest, candid, sincere, plea- 
sant, sometimes eloquent, always happy in 
his expressions, it is no wonder that he is 
a very popular orator. On hearing him, 
you esteem him as a gentleman, and love 
him as a man. He w^as nominated by Mr. 
Adams to the Senate of the United States 
as a judge of the United States supreme 
court, but was not confirmed, and Judge 
M'Lean fills the place to which Mr, Crit- 
tenden was nominated. He would have 
made as excellent a judge, as he made a 
member of General Harrison's cabinet. He 
has no enemy who personally knows him^ 
so pure, so sincere and candid is he in all 
his intercourse with the world, that even 
those who disagree in opinion with him, 
love the man, his manners and his straight 
forwardness of speech and of action. His 
age may be forty-eight and he is quite grey 
headed, of the common size and square 
built. His lady has a young look and is still 
handsome. She is always lady-like and 
agreeable in her conversation and deport- 



152 



WASHINGTON. 



ment. In these respects she resembles the 
ladies of Kentucky, Ohio and Tennessee. 
They always remind me of the West, and 
recall to my mind the delightful recollec- 
tions of a large integral portion of my ex- 
tended life, spent among scenes and sur- 
rounded by a people always dear to my 
heart. No place, time or circumstances 
will ever be able to obliterate these im- 
pressions from my vivid recollections of a 
delightful past. The Western people, pos- 
sessing as they do, unflinching courage, pure 
patriotism, a love of liberty, of sincerity and 
truth, decision of character, open hearted- 
ness and sincerity, with broad and liberal 
views, and possessing too an energy and a 
determination to go forward, conquering 
the forest and the prairie, they will soon 
extend our dominion to the Pacific ocean. 
Such a people will always go ahead of all 
national legislation and compel Congress to 
come limping and halting along on crutches 
and stilts behind them. 

James T. Morehead^ the other Kentucky 



WASfflNGTON. 



153 



senator, was formerly governer of that State. 
He is six feet high or upwards, rather spare 
in flesh, straight as an Indian, and he is 
so agreeable in his manners and address, as 
to be as he truly is the world's idol. His 
words flow along in a constant stream^, 
sweeter than honey. Sometimes he rises 
into sublimity, and soars along on high, and 
like our own eagle, roA^elling in the beams 
of a clear sun. Sometimes he can be play- 
ful, with an arch leer on his brow when he 
is ironical. He can captivate with his witch- 
ery of manner and of style. His method is 
good, his sentences are clear, sometimes 
pointed, sarcastic and withering. His man- 
ner is winning and his arguments convinc- 
ing. He is shrewd, searching and occasion- 
ally severe in his arguments, though not in 
his language. His ideas may be hard, but 
his words are soft, smooth and melodies. 
He labors with his pen and his books inces- 
santly, sometimes more than his body can 
well bear. Having come over into Ohio 
and married and carried off a beautiful, 



154 



WASHINGTON. 



amiable and good lady, the daughter of my 
excellent friend, J. M. Espy, of Colmnbus. 
I wish I had it in my power to present the 
reader a short biographical sketch of Gov. 
Morehead. 

Under the head of eloquence, I will con- 
fess, that although I have been months at- 
tending here, sometimes conversing with 
members of Congress, sometimes with other 
persons from all parts of the Union — stand- 
ing in the rotundo or sitting in thd' library, 
there conversing or reading, I always found 
it an unpleasant task to hear speeches, un- 
less some one w^as speaking whom I knew 
or greatly desired to hear. I went to hear 
Dr. Hammet of Mississippi, John Q. Adams, 
General Dromgoole, Judge Dean, John 
B. Weller, Schenck, Vinton, Florence, 
Van Meter, Potter and a few others, but 
1 had so much difficulty to get a seat where 
I could hear, that I seldom made an attempt 
to get a seat in the House. Hale of New 
Hampshire, when he spoke, could always 
be heard and understood. 



WASHINGTON, -jrh 

It appeared to me, that our western mem- 
bers were more eloquent on the Oregon 
question than the eastern members, and 
that the eastern members beat the western 
ones on the traiff question all hollow. The 
eastern members were learned, eloquent 
and sensible whenever they spoke of ma- 
nufactures, commerce or trade. These 
speeches, properly digested, would make 
an instructive and useful volume, that would 
be read by every body. 

I took an interest in the army bill, and 
contrived to hear a great deal of its discus- 
sion. M'Cay, Cave Johnson and Black 
of Carolina never spoke a word in vain. 
Mr. Black deserves a great deal of credit 
for his exertions to reform the abuses of the 
patronage of the government. The mad 
ravings of the pets against him are recom- 
mendations of him to his constituent, as 
their faithful sentinel in Congress. He re- 
presents a hardy, patriotic tace of men, 
whose ancesters fought bravely and well 
for their country in the war of the revolu- 



156 



WASHINGTON. 



tion. The Cowpens, King's mountain, and 
all that country round about them are im- 
mortalised by deeds of arms; and by patrio- 
tic devotion to the interests and the glory 
of our common country. The nation owes 
that people a debt of gratitude. 

I spent an evening with Mr. Black and 
Mr. Simpson, of Pendelton, S. Carolina, at 
their lodgings in the old capitol, kept by 
Mrs. Hill. They are excellent members 
of Congress, honest, capable and faithful re- 
presentatives — none better. They are 
friendly to Mr. Calhoun. Mr. Black was 
born near Mr. Calhoun, that is within five 
miles of him, and Mr. Simpson lives where 
Mr. Calhoun does, and is his near neighbor. 
Pie thinks highly of Mr. Calhoun's family 
and says that it is the happiest and the best 
one he ever knew. If my memory serves 
me, I think there is a sort of relationship 
by marriage between Mr. Simpson, and Mr, 
Calhoun. 

In the Senate are a great many good spea- 
kers. I heard Allen, Tappan, Choate, Ben- 



WASHINGTON. 



157 



ton, Woodbury, Buchanan, Crittenden, Up- 
ham, Moreliead and several others, who 
spoke well and argued clearly, distinctly 
and to the purpose. I have not room for a 
criticism on their manner and matter, but I 
was pleased to hear them speak so well on 
all occasions. I wished to hear Rives and 
Archer, but did not get an opportunity to 
hear them, or even become personally ac- 
quainted with them. As a Senate, we need 
not be ashamed of that body, but the re- 
verse in all respects. M'Duffie appears to 
be out of health, and I fear that he is in a 
decline that will carry him off before many 
years. I should have been glad to hear 
Bayard of Delaware, to ascertain whether 
he inherits his father's talents, but I never 
heard him. Foster of Tennessee, I know 
to be a man of talents and an excellent sen- 
ator, but I had not the pleasure to hear 
him. He stands high at the bar as a law- 
yer, and no one is more beloved than I know 
him to be by his neighbors in Nashville, 
where he lives when at home. Talented, 
10 



158 



W ASHINGTON. 



learned and good, Tennessee may well be 
proud of her beloved son. 

General King has gone to France, and 
Lewis has taken his place. General King, 
like his friend Buchanan, is a bachelor ; so 
he can go abroad, having no family to de- 
tain him here. 

A Digression. 

The influence of the christian religion, it 
appears to me, begins to operate benefici- 
ally on our legislative assemblies, and it is 
to be hoped that it wilj in the end melt 
down in its crucible our whole people. 
That religion is the great fountain-head of 
republics. It teaches us that our Creator is 
our Father, and that we are all brethren. 
In some respects, there is a falling off from 
the practices of our fathers — for instance, 
family government is not what it once was. 
In former days we had infancy, youth and 
age, but by the present generation youth is 
struck out of human life altogether. A boy 
or a girl five years old, assumes the dress, 
the manners and the airs of a young gentle- 



WASHINGTON, | gq 

man or a young lady. Last January, at my 
room, in the Broadstreet Hotel, in New 
York, after hearinfi: their voun£:est child 
read to me, (she was only about four years 
old) I inquired of her, if her sister never 
curled her hair ? which hung in beautiful 
ringlets on her head. She replied, that " her 
sister Sarah would, within a few days, curl 
her hair, and then she was to have a beau !" 
The remark pleased me greatly, because it 
was so characteristic of these times. No 
sooner is the hippen laid aside, than the 
pantaloons, and the boots, and the cocked- 
up hat follow, as the dress of the boy — and 
the girl, is dressed like a young lady. Iler 
locks are curled, and she looks around her 
for a beau ! Of these thinofs we mean not 
to complain, but we merely note them as a 
change effected in our manners, since the 
last age, whether for better or for worse, 
we do not say. The days of our fathers are 
gone by, and this generation assumes to be 
wiser tlian the former one was, but wheth- 
er a better one, on the whole, is at best 
doubtful with me. 



160 



WASHINGTON. 



We prefer Old Virginia, with her old 
principles to all her new fangled ideas. In 
some things she may be behind the age^ 
but that does not convince me that she is 
the worse on that account. I prefer the 
principles of Washington, Jefferson, Madi- 
son, Monroe, Marshall and Upshur, to those 
of Aaron Burr and the spoilers. The for- 
mer are pure gold, in my estimation, and 
the latter are mere dross. The sons, and 
the descendants generally of the Randolphs, 
the Lees, the Masons, and a long list of 
Pendletons and other revolutionary patriots 
are true to the principles of their ancesters 
and the republic. Long may such men and 
such principles shed a lustre on the Old Do- 
minion. Rives and Archer represent Vir- 
ginian interest and principles in the Senate 
of the United States. In the other house 
I am ignorant, wholly, as to their represen- 
tatives, and so I say nothing of them. Gil- 
mer was quite popular in the House, but he 
is no more. Sl'3imers is a western Virgi- 
nian — so western that he is exactly like au 



WASHINGTON. 



161 



Oliioan in his manners and feelings. He 
lives on the Kenhawa, and truly and effi- 
ciently represents the people who send him 
to Congress. 

From our digression we come back to say, 
on the subject of the tariff, that the eastern 
members appeared to us to have the better 
arguments. They said, in substance, that 
the tariff of 1842 had injured no interest of 
our country; that agriculture was more pros- 
perous than before ; that manufactures were 
more flourishing; that our navigation was 
more active ; public and private credit was 
restored, both at home and abroad. These 
members then enquired, whether it was 
wise, prudent and statesmanlike to change 
a law that worked so well 'I They contend- 
ed that the experience of all nations proved 
that sudden and frequent changes in the 
laws of any country, were highly injurious 
to all classes of people. We do not use the 
very words, but we give the sum and the 
substance of what fell from the lips of many 
friends of the present tariff law. It appeared 



162 



WASHINGTON. 



to me. that those who wished a new tarift', 
took a very narrow view of the subject. 
They looked at what they considered the 
interest of their several districts of country, 
without looking further around them on the 
whole Union. It is a matter of opinion, and 
feeling as I certainly did, coolly and calm- 
ly, I made up a deliberate judgement, as 
disinterested as it could be. We in Ohio 
are an agricultural, manufacturing and com- 
mercial people. These interests are in re- 
ality the same ; they prosper or fall together. 
Mr. Jefferson, by his embargoes and restric- 
tive measures, made the people of New 
England a manufacturing people, against 
their wills at lirst, but following his advice, 
they became a manufacturing as well as a 
commercial people. Their industry, perse- 
verance and energy made them prosperous 
and rich. The change in their pursuits 
ruined thousands of them at tlie time, but 
as soon as their prosperity was everywhere 
apparent, there were not wanting those, 
who envied and wished to ruin that pros- 



WASHINGTON. Ig^ 

perity by frequent changes in our tariff 
laws. Those who wished to check their 
prosperity, remind us of a private soldier in 
the revohitionary war, while he was suffer- 
ing corporeal punishment. When the lash 
fell upon his shoulders, he cried out, "strike 
lower, strike lower !" but when the lash 
struck his loins, he cried out, " strike high- 
er/' Strike where the corporal would, the 
culprit was not at all satisfied with the 
blows, nor pleased with the corporal him- 
self. Could all our people be willing " to 
live and let live," it appears to us that we 
should all be happier and better off, and in 
that way become an united people in the 
bonds of mutual interest and mutual affec- 
tion. 

All laws calculated to affect a whole na- 
tion should never be changed for slight 
causes, nor changed without giving the peo- 
ple, and the whole people, time to duly re- 
flect upon such changes, in all their bear- 
ings on the whole people. Such are our 
ideas of that republican form of governments 



164 



WASHINGTON. 



which was erected by our* fathers, to pro- 
mote the happiness of the people, aye, of 
the whole people. Keeping this great ob- 
ject in view, the laws should be plain, sim- 
ple and few, and be changed as seldom as 
possible, otherwise no man in any business 
can make any safe calculations as to the 
course he should pursue — what plans he 
should form, or how he can execute them. 
There is an union of interests, not always 
duly considered. The farmer, the mechan- 
ic, the manufacturer, the merchant and the 
mariner have precisely the same interests 
in the prosperity of all the great interests 
of all our people. Destroy or greatly injure 
any one class of people, and the whole bo- 
dy politic feels the wound and suffers by 
the injury. One class may feel it first, but 
in the end, all feel it. 

On all great national questions of policy, 
time, reflection, prudence and caution seem 
to be required by the dictates of patriotism 
and true wisdom. And our legislators, and 
indeed all our wise men^ should always re- 



WASHINGTON. 



165 



member, and be sure never to forget, that 
we Americans are a very exciteable people, 
more so, much more so, than many nations 
are in the north of Europe. Our southern 
people may be the soonest moved by any 
sudden impulse, but get our northern peo- 
ple once fairly started, and they move like 
a tornado. Knowing ourselves, and how 
exciteable we are, let us endeavor to keep 
cool, on all the political questions, which 
agitate the public mind, from time to time. 
Our republican institutions have been dear- 
ly bought — with the blood of our ancestors, 
freely shed, in the battle fields of glorious 
memory, and on the mountain waves, where 
our sailors fought, bled, died and conquered 
in the cause, the holy cause of liberty. — 
When the liberties of this country go down 
to their graves, have we not reason to fear 
that free government all over the world, 
will be overwhelmed in one universal ruin ? 
May my eyes be closed in death before that 
day arrives. 

Having decided that the tariff case shall 



166 



WASHINGTON. 



be put down to the foot of our docket, on 
the principle of want of more time for na- 
tional reflection, it follows as a matter of 
course, almost, that we ought to put the 
Oregon question at the foot of our docket 
also, and continue it for a trial at the next 
term of our high court of judicature. VV heth- 
er the Texas case shall be disposed of in the 
same manner, we will not decide, until we 
have ascended to our seat on the bench, and 
there patiently heard the arguments of 
counsel learned in the law, on the motion 
for a continuance of the cause until the 
next session of this honorable court. 

The idea that the American people are 
to be taken by surprise, and that six large 
States ouffht to he added to this confedera- 
cy by legerdemain, without notice and 
without sufficient time for reflection on all 
the consequences of such on addition to our 
territory, calls for deliberation,, reflection 
and a solenui pause, like the stillness of a 
Quaker's silent meeting, before we decide 
this question — especially in the afhrmitive. 



WASHINGTON. [g^ 

Let us hear it discussed openly in the Sen- 
ate, and in all places of public resort. 

Our right to Oregon, up to the fifty-fifth 
degree of north latitude, is quite clear and 
our people will occupy that territory forth- 
witli, and then Congress will limp along 
after them, carrying our laws to them. In 
the mean time, villages, towns and cities 
will rear their spires along the rivers, the 
stage driver's horn and the steam boat's bell 
will be heard there. The sound of the axe, 
the liammer and the saw, will rival in speed 
the roaring of the waters rushing over mill 
dams, or dashing against the rocks in the 
streams of Oregon. All these things Avill 
soon be heard and seen there, but we can 
wait a little time yet, until the nation is 
ready to rush in one mass of men, to wash 
their feet in the waters of the Pacific, as 
they roll their briny waves on to our great 
western boundary. As Mr. Owen said, in 
the house, "the Pacific is our destination 
and our destiny." 

Lay the questio^i over, gentlemen, till 



168 



WASHINGTON. 



next session of Congress. The prancing 
steed and the nodding pknne shall be seen 
tliere and the star spangled banner shall 
wave, and rustle in every breeze that 
moves over the prairies, the hills and the 
plains of our own farthest West. A rail- 
road from Astoria to Boston can transport 
the salmon of the Multnomah to our farth- 
est East. Between the salmon of Penob^ 
scot and those of the Columbia river, let 
the Bostonians decide which is preferable. 
We will wait, sitting with gravity in a wig 
and gown in our court, until the Bostonians 
are called into it, to give their testimony on 
a point of so much delicacy, in a matter of 
taste, too, about which old Horace has said 
there is no disputing. — '^De gustihus non dis- 
putandum,'' 



WASfflNGTON. 1 p^ 



CHAPTER VII. 

Visit to Mr. Calhoun, Secretary of State—Alexandria, its early history — 
Reminisences of General Washington— Memoir of Mr. Anthony Charles 
Cazenove ; a most interesting tale.— He was the old partner of Albert Gal- 
latin, at New Geneva, Pennsylvania. 

On the fifth day of April, I went early in 
the morning to see Mr. Calhoun, the new 
Secretary of State. I found him already in 
his office, attending to his official duties. It 
was long before office hours, and I had a 
long conversation with him. He received 
me most cordially and entertained me most 
agreeably for an hour or two. When it 
was announced to him that Mr. Chilton, a 
member of Congress, had called to see him, 
I retired to call on Mrs. Murphy, of Ohio, 
and her son, who were putting up near the 
Secretary's office. After spending an hour 
or two with them, I called again at the Sec- 
retary's office, but found him engaged with 



^^r. WASHINGTON. 

the Texan ministers, Mr. Henderson' and 
Mr. Van Zandt. The messenger brought 
me a slip of paper with Mr. Calhoun's place 
of residence written on it, "at Mrs. King's, 
between 13th and 14th streets, on F st." 
I went thither, and waited not long but un- 
til Mr. Calhoun and his son had arrived and 
dined. The Secretary came into the par- 
lour where I was sitting, and we conversed 
together several hours, until General An- 
del-son of Tennessee came, when I took 
my leave of Mr. Calhoun. During these 
interviews I had in my mind two regrets : 
first, that I had never before in my lifetime 
had an opportunity to converse with him so 
freely on a great variety of matters, deeply 
interesting to the people of these United 
States; and secondly, that my first was to 
be my lasl opportunity of conversing with 
Mr. Calhoun. 

Mr. Calhoun, in conversation, is as great 
as he is in every thing else. He can say a 
great deal in a few words. His language is 
appropriate and as beautiful as one could 



WASHIiVGTON ^^^ 

possibly imagine it to be. He is in the full 
possession of all his corporeal and mental 
powers, he sees every thing at a glance of 
his mmd, and he can speak as easily as he 
thmks. He is unquestionably one of the 
most talented men in the nation. It is quite 
possible that he has been treated very un- 
grateRiIly by the men, who have been 
raised into high places by Mr. Calhoun 
himself Without a particle of intrigue in 
his composition — unacquainted entirely 
with the machinery of party management 
and party drill he has stood no chance of 
success among such men. He appeared to 
know and to feel this, though he has al- 
ways scorned to stoop to such low means 
of rising into the highest office in the Union 
He has not a particle of ill will towards his 
enemies, and, he said, that he had taken a 
real pleasure in doing good to those who 
were employing themselves in their endea- 
vors to injure him, although he well knew 
what they were doing at that moment 
when he wa^ serving them. He has come 



^ --p WASHINGTON. 

here, merely to treat with England and 
Texas, and having finished his intended la- 
bors, he will resign his present office, and 
retire to the high ground where he dwells, 
there to spend the remainder of his days. 
Just hack of the country where he hves, the 
Alleghany mountains rise to an altitude of 
seven thousand feet above the sea, which 
is higher than the White mountains in New 
Hampshire. 

In the vallies of the Alleghany, near him, 
Indian corn grows and comes to perfection 
four thousand feet above the sea. Though 
I did not ask him, yet, I suspect that at such 
an elevation it is the New England corn, 
and not our gourd seed corn. He tells me, 
that on his elevated ground, where he lives 
the climate is nearly the same, as that of 
the District of Columbia. He has no am- 
bition for public Ufe, its cares and respon- 
sibilities. After being thirty-five years in 
office, he desires to retire from it, and J)e at 
peace at home, surrounded as he is by a fa- 
mily endeared to him by all the ties which j 



WASfflNGTON, ^^3 

none But a parent can feel. He has five 
sons and two dauo^hters. The son with him 
here, is an officer in the army — a promising 
yomig man. He appeared to think that his 
part of the Union had been wholly neglect- 
ed by the general government. If that be 
the fact, and I am sure he thinks so, the re- 
presentatives from South Carolina, should 
use their endeavors to obtain their due 
share of the public patronage. To strength- 
en the bonds of our Union by mutual aid 
and mutual affection, should be the constant 
aim of all our national legislation. I told 
Mr. Calhoun that Ohio had paid twenty 
millions of dollars for her lands, into the 
United States treasury, whereas the peo]3le 
of the Atlantic States had gotten their lands 
originally, merely for settling on them. Mr. 
Calhoun in reply stated that Wayne's war, 
with all its expenditures, must be charged 
on Ohio and Indiana. 

I told Mr. Calhoun that within ten years 
from this time, the national government 
would be in our hands in the West for safe 
11 



174 



WASHINGTON. 



keeping", and so will remain thenceforth 
and forever* This idea, I told him, had its 
full weight on our minds — it made us bear 
and forbear — bear our evils and forbear to 
use any violent means now, to acquire what 
would, of its own accord soon fall into our 
possession, and be forever ours. 

General Anderson of Tennessee, coming 
in here, I left Mr. Calhoun with the most 
friendly impressions towards him, which 
will never wear off from my mind during 
my life-time. Devoid of all intrigue, he is 
too honest a man to compete with the little 
men, who have always opposed him. He 
will only be called for, when great and 
commanding powers of mind are imperious- 
ly demanded by some great emergency, 
liike a great lamp, he shines to give light 
for the benefit of others, who see by the aid 
of its lustre. Perhaps it is best that the 
greatest talents are unemployed, except in 
cases of emergency. They are the army 
in reserve, upon which a defeated party in 
advance can fall back and be saved from 



WASHINGTON. 



175 



destruction. Why so many incompetent 
men should lise into high places of trust, 
while the greatest and the best ones should 
be passed by, is not always seen. Envy of 
living merit may be the cause. 

Mr. Calhoun's private character is pure 
and spotless. He never had any vicious habit 
of any sort, nor indulged in any vice. There 
are very few such public men in this nation, 
or even in this world, and there is no bet- 
ter one anywhere. Whether he belongs to 
any church, I do not know but that he prac- 
tises all the christian virtues is certain. His 
hair is grey, but his step is strong and elas- 
tic, and his body like his mind is as strong 
and as active as it ever was. For strength 
of thought, deep, vigorous, keen, searching*, 
discriminating, methodical, logical and clear 
Mr. Calhoun has no superior in this natioH. 
His feelings are mellowed down by years 
and by a large experience in the affairs of 
the world and all its vicissitudes. His great 
learning, derived from books — his agree- 
able manners, derived from a good heart 



176 



ALEXANDRIA. 



and from his associations with the best so- 
ciety in the nation; his business talents; 
his industrious habits, and all his other great 
qualifications, eminently fit him fi)r his pre- 
sent high station, and fi3r even the highest 
station in this republic-. The Senate did 
but yield to the unanimous desire of all our 
citizens here, when they unanimously con- 
firmed the nomination of John C. Calhoun, 
as Secretary of State. In whatever station 
he is, we may always feel assured that a 
talented, patriotic and good man occupies 
it, who will faithfully, honestly and correct- 
ly do his duty at all times and in all emer- 



gencies. 



Alexandria, April 10th, 

I came here yesterday, to spend a few 
days — to rusticate. This city of ten thou- 
sand people is made up of an agreeable, 
Well informed and industrious population. 
The streets all cross each other at right 
angles, like those of Philadelphia. It is free 
from the dust, which loads the air of Penn- 



ALEXANDRIA. ^^T 



sylvania avenue at this time, and is, on the 
whole, a better place for me than capitol- 
hill, where I was so happily located, at Mrs. 
Ballard's, within two minutes' walk of the 
Capitol, its rotundo and library. This spot 
is more retired from company, so agreeable 
to me as to take off my mind from my busi- 
ness. On attending the market here, the 
most prominent object in it, was the fishes, 
such as shad, herring, &c, just taken in this 
river, and brought here for sale. I saw yes- 
terday three large shad sold for a quarter of 
a dollar, and single ones, large, fresh and 
fair, for ten cents each ! The quantities ta- 
ken are great, and a great many wagons 
from the country, back of this city, and 
from Maryland and Pennsylvania were here 
for the purpose of carrying them away. Be- 
fore I came here, I heard much of the de- 
cay of the city, but on my arrival I found 
none of it. I found signs of thrift, but none 
of decay. Houses were repairing, the peo- 
ple w^ere all employed in some useful call- 
ing ; the >streets are all paved, with good 



178 



ALEXANDRIA. 



side-walks, and what surprised me, was^ 
that I saw no coffee-houses where spirits 
are retailed, in this city of ten thousand peo- 
ple. There are only two taverns in it, and 
one of the innkeepers sells no ardent spirits 
in his house. I am now writing these lines 
in his inn. I doubt much, whether such 
another town of the size of this can he 
found in America, where no more intoxi- 
cating liquors are drank in it. I have now 
lying before me, a record of the first town 
meeting in this old American town, and I 
extract from it the following, viz. 

" At a meeting of the majority of the trus- 
tees of Alexandria town, July 13th, 1749. 
Present: Richard Osborn, Wm. Ramsay, 
John Carlyle, John Pagan, Garrard Alexan- 
der and Hugh West, Gent.'' 

What a record ! Ninety-five years almost 
since this was a frontier town, and then 
the majority of the trustees held their 
first meeting, of which any record remains. 
Before that time, the place must have been 
occupied by settlers, and must have been 



ALEXANDRIA. 



179 



laid out as a town, into lots, because the 
same record shows that John West, junior, 
was appointed a clerk of the town, and the 
proceedings of the meeting were recorded 
by their clerk, and his book, in manuscript, 
lies before me ! John West, junior, was 
" appointed cryer to sell the lotts at publick 
sale, within five minutes, from the time they 
are set to sale." The price of the lots is 
given in the record, in pistoles. No. 36 
Wfis the first lot sold at the public sale, and 
John Dalton was the purchaser, at 19 pis- 
toles. Among the purchasers of the lots, 
we find the names of Lawrence Washing- 
ton, W. Fairfax and Geo. Fairfax, Natha- 
niel Harrison, Wm. Fitzhugh, Wm. Ramsay 
and Major Henry Fitzhugh, besides the 
names of the trustees first named, and their 
clerk and Roger Lindon and Allan McRae. 
1 visited the printing office on Saturday 
morning, April 13th, and introduced myself 
to the editor, a pleasant sensible and oblig- 
ing man. The Alexandria Gazette was es- 
tablished by Samuel Snowden in 1800. It 



180 



ALEXANDRIA. 



was continued by the original proprietor 
until his death in 1831. Since that time it 
has been conducted and owned by his son, 
Edgar Snowden — it is therefore one of the 
oldest newspaper establishments in the 
United States. 

Between this place and Washington there 
are two steam boats run*ning, starting almost 
every hour of the day from each city, and 
passing each other about half-way between 
Washington and Alexandria. They start 
at five in the morning, and their last trip 
commences at five in the evening. They 
charge twelve and a half cents for the pas- 
sage. Some of the officers of the depart- 
ments live here, and daily pass the distance 
between the two cities. A stage coach 
runs between them also several times daily. 

The citizens of Alexandria often attend 
the debates in Congress, and know what is 
doing in Washington as well almost as those 
who live there. 

I visited the Alexandria museum over 
the market house, and among the collection 



ALEXANDRIA 



181 



there, I saw the mantle in which George 
Washington was christened; his masonic 
robes, apron and gloves ; his pistols, pre- 
sented to him by Louis XVI ; a model, in 
stone, of the Bastile, presented to him by 
the national assembly of France ; his pack- 
saddle, used in the revolutionary war ; his 
flag, borne by his body guard in that war; 
the first British flag, captured in that war, 
called Alpha by Washington ; the last flag 
taken in that war from Corn wall is; La Fa- 
yette's flag — blue; Decatur's flag; Paul 
Jones' flag, on board the Bonne Homme 
Richard, in his battle with the Serapis; 
Gen. Morgan's flag, borne by his Virginia 
regiment ; and a great many other relics of 
revolutionary times. General Washington's 
letter to the cotillion party, which used to 
assemble in the house where I am located, 
is in the museum. In this letter the Gene- 
ral declines to meet with them, on account 
of Mrs. Washington's age. What thrilling 
recollections of times gone by, do these rel- 
ics stir up within us ? What a crowd of 



182 



ALEXANDRIA. 



emotions, of all sorts, rush upon the mind, 
when looking on these memorials of former 
days, former ideas and opinions ? of old 
customs and ancient manners, compared 
with modern ones ? We live in a world 
that is passing away — in its habits, customs, 
dress, weapons of warfare ; all is changed, 
changing and never will be stable, scarcely 
an hour ! Ninety-four years ago, this spot, 
where this city is, was surrounded by a 
dense forest, on the verge of civiliza- 
tion, now it is quite on the eastern side of 
our domain. 

There is a large market house here, of 
brick, over which are rooms for the several 
public offices, and in the third story is the 
museum. The mayor, clerk, auditor, &c. 
have their offices in the first story above 
the market house. The market is well 
supplied with meat, fish and vegetables. I 
saw too in it many flowers and small ever- 
green trees, in a proper state for planting 
them. The vegetables, flowers and trees 
were offered at very low prices — hardly 



ALEXANDRIA. 



183 



sufficient to pay for bringing them to mar- 
ket. Those who brought them appeared 
to be poor* with famiHes to support. 

The rail-road from Cumberland to Balti- 
more has injured Alexandria, by taking 
some of the trade of the upper country 
away from this district. An extension of 
the canal to this city will bring back some 
of the trade which it has lost temporarily. 
The water in the wells of this city is not 
good, except a few in the suburbs, from 
which the city is well supplied. By taking 
the water out of the canal, it can be easily 
conveyed to the houses and supply all the 
citizens with healthful water. 

Religious Sects. — There are episcopa- 
lians, presbyterians, methodists, catholics, 
baptists, and perhaps some other denomina- 
tions of christians. They appear to liv^e to- 
gether in unity, and agree to disagree in 
opinion about their several forms of wor- 
ship. To the community at large it mat- 
ters little what may be their several forms, 
so as they have the same great fundamental 



184 



ALEXANDRIA. 



principles of charity and benevolence to- 
wards each other and towards God and 
man. There are too, some quakers, as I per- 
ceive by their dress and conversation. — 
They are the same industrious, neat, quiet, 
friendly people every where. 

On Sunday April 14th I attended church 
in the morning at the first presbyterian 
church, and in the afternoon* at Christ 
church, the oldest episcopalian church. In 
the forenoon I heard the Eev. Mr. Harrison. 
Calling at Mr. Cazenove's to accompany 
him, he being absent, I went to the dwell- 
ing of his son-in-law, expecting to find him 
there, but, learning the object of my call- 
ing, a daughter of my deceased friend, the 
late Colonel Fowle, came forward, and ac- 
companied me to the church ; she was a 
child nine or ten years old. She behaved 
perfectly lady-like, and conducted me to 
her mother's pew, where her parent was 
already seated. The congregation was not 
a large one, though a very serious and de- 
vout one, to whom the preacher addressed 



ALEXANDRIA,' 



185 



a very good discourse. Colonel Fowle was 
lost ill the Moselle, when that vessel was 
blown up at Cincinnati, a few years since. 
I shook hands with him, and bid him fare- 
well, only fifteen minutes before his death. 
I had been personally well acquainted with 
the Colonel for many years, and had spent 
many happy hours at different places in the 
West with him, on many a day, and I al- 
ways had a high regard for him. His little- 
daughter resembles him very much in her 
looks and manners. I could not refrain from 
thinking how happy he would have been, 
had he seen her, and noticed how lady-like 
his daughter was, in her behaviour, while 
conducting his old friend to church, in this 
city. If spirits hover around those friends 
whom they have left behind them in this 
world, and take a peculiar pleasure in any 
thing that relates to them in this life, the 
spirit of my departed friend. Col. Fowle, 
must have been pleased to see me seated in 
his pew, yesterday, at church, with his wi- 
dow, her father and his daughter. 



186 



ALEXANl)RlA. 



In the afternoon 1 went to the church 
where Washington used to attend divine 
worship, and found in it but two persons — 
ladies, dressed in mourning. I stated to 
them my case, that I was a perfect stranger, 
who wished to attend their meeting at that 
time. One of them offered me a seat in 
her pew, which 1 accepted. It was near 
the pulpit, aud she pointed out to me the 
pew in which General Washington used to 
sit ; it was the largest one in the church. 
At the proper time, the congregation as- 
sembled, some three hundred people per- 
haps, and three-fourth of them were fe- 
males. The weather was warm and it was 
after dinner. Where the men were I did 
not know, but they were not in the church. 
Two preachers at last appeared, and began 
the service. The regular minister read the 
service, but another clergyman preached 
the sermon. I soon discovered that this 
was an old- school episcopalian church. — - 
Their creed told me so, because it stated 
what Jesus himself has contradicted on his 



ALEXANDRIA. 



187 



cross. The creed said, he descended into 
hell, but he himself told the thief by his side 
suspended on the cross, that on that day he 
would be in paradise ! The sermon was 
an eloquent one, and so far as I could judge, 
very correct in its doctrinal points. As a 
literary composition, it was good too, and 
its delivery occupied an hour perhaps. The 
regular preacher was Mr. Dana and the one 
who officiated, was the Rev. Mr. Johnson. 
Young, or middled aged at most, tall, erect, 
active and well educated, they may yet live 
long to be useful and successful preachers. 
Forty-five years since. General Washing* 
ton attended this church and sat in the pew 
now occupied by a square built, heavy man, 
fifty years old, possibly. To me every per- 
son in the church was an entire stranger. 
The church has a good organ, and on each 
side of the pulpit are printed on boards the 
ten commandments on the south, and the 
Lord's prayer and their creed on the north, 
or right hand side of the minister m his 
desk. 



188 



ALEXANDRIA: 



Reuben Johnson is the present clerk and 
auditor of the city. From him I obtained 
leave to inspect all his records. Joseph 
Eaches, Esq., is the present mayor, from 
whom I have derived very useful informa- 
tion, concerning this city. 

The people of Alexandria have in their 
manners the simplicity and straight-for- 
wardness of a people in a rural village. — 
They have the hospitality of their ancesters 
of Charles II. time, when the Scotch, under 
Lord Fairfax settled the northern neck of 
Virginia. The pure morals and pure prin- 
ciples of those primitive times have been 
handed down unsoiled and uncorrupted to 
the people who now dwell here. Should 
the seat of the national government be re- 
moved farther west, Alexandria would not 
suffer much by that change. The Potomac, 
broad, deep and navigable, would still roll 
its tide from Georgetown to the sea. The 
industry, enterprise, economy, morals, reli- 
gion and patriotism of the people would re- 
main, and render prosperous, useful, good 



.EXANDRIA. 



189 



and happy, a thriving people. An increas- 
ing city will forever remain here an orna- 
ment of the nation. This is a nucleus, 
around which men of good principles may 
rally, and from this point spread far and 
wide, sound morals and sound principles of 
all sorts. Near this town Washington was 
born and died, and his spirit hovers over 
this people. His example, his precepts and 
his principles govern Alexandria still. We 
see it in every thing all around us. 

The stage house, where I am, is kept by 
Mr. George Wise, and it is the best in the 
city. As such I take pleasure in recom- 
mending it to travellers. 

I cannot conclude my remarks on Alex- 
andria better, than by introducing to the 
reader Mr. A. C. Cazenove, a native of 
Geneva, Switzerland, but now and for ma- 
ny years past an enterprising merchant and 
importer of foreign goods. Mr. Cazenove 
is as stirring a man, as there is in Alexan- 
dria. At my request he drew up a short 
memoir of his life, which, in his own words, 
12 



I present to the reader. . Gen. Archibald 
Henderson married Mr. Cazenove's eldest 
daughter and Colonel Fowle his youngest 
one. 

Memoir of Mr. Cazenove. 

The cradle of the Cazenove family was 
Nismes in France, though it is probable, 
from their name and coat of arms, that they 
were originally from Italy or Spain, where 
you find some Casanovas and Casanuovas. 

Being protestants, they had to fly at the 
revocation of the edict of Nantes, and took 
refuge in Geneva, in Switzerland, from 
whence some of them afterwards branched 
off to Lausanne, in Switzerland, to Holland, 
England, France, and lastly to the United 
States. This last event took place during 
the summer of 1794, when the leaders of 
the dreadful French revolution fomented 
one of a similar character, only on a smal- 
ler scale, in the little republic of Geneva, 
then not one of the cantons of Switzerland, 
but in close alliance with that ancient and 
admirable confederation. The object of 



ALEXANDRIA. 



191 



the French being the geographical situa- 
tion of Geneva, being fortified and by na- 
ture one of the gate-ways into France, 
Switzerland and Italy, besides its great 
wealth for an inland city, and the high 
state of information possessed by the gen- 
erality of its inhabitants, being acknow- 
ledored to be one of the luminaries of the 
world. 

Although France had succeeded in over- 
turning their old form of government, and 
substituting in a population, then amount- 
ing to about 25,000 souls in the city and 
about 15,000 in the surrounding villages 
and country, a national assembly as demo- 
cratic as it could well be. ^They were 
attached to their independence and desir- 
ous so to remain. It therefore became ne- 
cessary for Roberspierre and the leading 
jacobins of France, to find some pretext 
for taking possession of Geneva, for which 
purpose they surrounded it (being then 
in possession of Savoy and having mili- 
tary posts close by) with the worst of 



192 



ALEXANDRIA. 



their jacobins, and such Genevans as had 
been banished from it for any cause, and 
in one night, with the help of their sat- 
telites in Geneva and their own people 
which they had introduced into the city, 
took possession of the three gates of the 
city, arsenal and powder magazines. They 
armed the most desperate amongst them, 
to intimidate others, and early next day 
went and dragged the heads of our best fa- 
milies and distinguished citizens, into two 
large warehouses, used before that for pub- 
lic granneries, to the number of about 400 
persons, and established a national tribune, 
before which they brought several of the 
best, most virtuous and patriotic citizens of 
Geneva, but ranked by them as aristocrats, 
which they pretended to have conspired 
against the independence of the republic ; 
the very thing they had themselves in 
view, and were aiming at. Nor could they 
liave had the reign one single day, but for 
the knowledge that France was ready to 
pounce upon Geneva, if any thing like a 



ALEXANDRIA. 



193 



scuffle had taken place, to avoid which the 
people of Geneva thought it best to submit 
for a while to the tyranny of their own ja- 
cobins. As it was impossible to substan- 
tiate any charge against such men, however 
depraved their revolutionary tribunal was, 
they were necessarily acquitted and sent 
to the common jail for safe keeping. This 
however so enraged their blood-thirsty 
Marseillois, (the worst of jacobins) that 
they forced the jail during the night, and 
by torch light shot sixteen of the best men 
Geneva ever possessed, and so overawed the 
revolutionary tribunal itself, as to compel 
it to take on itself the responsibility of so 
atrocious a deed. 

In order, however^ to appease in some 
respects public indignation, the revolution- 
ary tribunal brought before them forty of 
the prisoners, amongst whom were Mr. 
Paul Cazenove, myself, and his two and 
only sons, John Anthony and Anthony 
Charles, when, after having charged them 
also of conspiracy against the republic, and 



194 



ALEXANDRIA. 



threatening them in an awful manner il 
they persisted, they were allowed to re- 
turn to their respective families, where I 
found seven jacobins guarding my mother 
at her country seat, not allowing her to 
leave her own room, and I was not even 
allowed to go in and see her, nor have I 
seen her since; for my brother and myself, 
under cover of the night, with the help of 
a Swiss boat, escaped the second night, 
through the lake to Copet, the nearest 
town in Switzerland, on the lake of Ge- 
neva, where we were joined by our cousin 
Fazy, one of the defenders of Lyons when 
beseiged by order of the French national 
convention. Having long felt that we could 
not live in peace in Geneva, under the sway 
of the jacobins, we and several other Ge- 
nevans had determined to leave it, for a 
while at least, and under the impression 
that the Jacobinical principles of revolution- 
ary France were destined to go through 
Europe, we determined to come to Ameri- 
ca, where the revolutio];! had happily ter- 



ALEXANDRIA. 



195 



minated, and where we had already friends 
and relatives. In order, therefore, to avoid 
the French armies, which were then mak- 
ing their second incm'sion into Flanders and 
Germany, we proceeded through the inte- 
rior of Germany to Hamburg, where we 
were met by other Genevans, who had 
formed the plan of emigrating to America. 
There we heard of the death of Robers- 
pierre, and were all on the point of aban- 
doning om* project, but we determined to 
persevere in it, because every leader of the 
French convention having been heretofore 
succeeded by one still more sanguinary 
than the last, we did not expect any change 
for the better. We all, to the number of 
eight, therefore, embarked together with 
our four Swiss servants, for Philadelphia, 
where we landed in November 1794, and 
were soon after joined by three other Ge- 
nevans, two of whom, with their wives, had 
left Geneva after us for the United States. 
There I found my cousin, Mr. Theophilus 
Cazenove,the same after whom Cazenovia, 



196 



ALEXANDRIA. 



in the State of New York, is called, who 
had made in that State and in Pennsylva- 
nia, as agent of wealthy capitalists of Hol- 
land, the extensive purchase of the Holland 
company. Also my cousin Odier of the 
house of Odier & Bousquet Brothers, and 
soon after Mr. Albert Gallatin, then a dis- 
tinguished member of the Legislature of 
Pennsylvania, joined us. 

A number of Genevans having, while yet 
in Geneva, much approved our intention of 
removing to the United States, and desired 
that we should remember them and also 
prepare a retreat for them. We formed the 
plan of a large landed company, in which 
a number of influential individuals became 
interested. But having ascertained during 
the spring of 1795 that, justly adverse to 
emigrate, the French revolution and that 
of Geneva having assumed a somewhat mil- 
der course, after the fall of Roberspierre, 
w^e were not likely to be joined by other 
Genevans as we expected, we relinquished 
the plan of our landed company, and I formed 



ALEXANDRIA. 1 0J 



197 

a co-partnership with Mr. Albert Galla- 
tin, his brother -in-law, Mr. J.W.Nichol- 
son, and two other gentlemen, under the 
firm of Albert Gallatin & Co., and purchas- 
ed a tract of land at the mouth of George's 
Creek, in Fayette county, Pennsylvania, 
where we located the town of New Gene- 
va, on the Monongehela river, and estab- 
lished stores, built mills, glass-works, &c. 
I remained there until having married in 
Alexandria, where I then settled myself 
for life. Some years after that, the Swiss 
government, having thought it desirable, for 
the first time, to establish consuls in the 
United States, unexpectedly to me, know- 
ing nothing of their intentions, I received 
from the federal government of that coun- 
try, their appointment of Swiss consul for 
the middle and southern States, with a very 
kind and obliging request from them to ac- 
cept it; which was the more flattering, as 
it had been unsought by me, and though it 
was impossible for me to forget the country 
of my birth, or my attachment for Svvitzer- 



189 



ALEXANDRIA. 



land ever to be weakened, still it was very 
pleasing for me to see that I had not been 
forgotten by her, and had such agreeable 
opportunities afforded me of keeping up an 
intercourse with that excellent government 
and equally excellent people, which it is 
the delight of all travellers to exalt above 
all other nations c 



WASHINGTON, ]^Q^ 



CHAPTER VIIL 

Officers of the government. — Remarks on the permanencj' of the seat of go- 
vernment. — No authority in the constitution to remove it.— Monomaniacs, 
one who fancies liimself in paradise I and the other expects to be elected 
the next president! — Other monomaniacs equally crazy.— Local Infor- 

MATIOX. 

The chief clerks, such as M'Clintock 
Young of the treasury department, Mr. 
Moore of the general land office, Wm. B. 
Randolph of the treasurer's office, Mr. Plea- 
sants^ Thos. L. Smith the Register, and M. 
Nourse, his chief clerk, ai'e always at their 
posts, attending to their duties. Without 
just such men, the public business could not 
be done. In the state department, Messrs. 
Winder and Carroll and Pleasonton are al- 
ways engaged in their proper business. Per- 
haps there is not an idler in that department. 
Major Lewis and all his clerks, James Ea- 
kin, his chief clerk, Josiah Polk and all, are 
yery industrious and attentive to their du- 



200 



WASHINGTON. 



ties. So in the general post office, M. St 
Clair Clarke and all his clerks, the several 
assistant postmasters general, and Judges 
Smith and Hotchkiss^ S. B. Beach, Stone, 
Gen. Allen and all the clerks labor hard all 
day long. In the offices of the war depart- 
ment and in the naval office, I am not suffi- 
ciently informed to tell the reader anything 
about them. Generals Towson, Abert, 
Bomford, Gibson and all the officers of their 
grade are always industrious, always atten- 
tive to their business. In all these stations 
no changes could be made for the better I 
am sure. Judge Blake of the general land 
office deserves an honorable mention, for 
having appointed Wm. Darby and several 
others like him, clerks; and for his kind 
treatment of all his subordinates. The 
changes of heads of department, which are 
more and more frequent of late years than 
formerly produce changes among the clerks. 
No sooner is any new head of department 
inducted into his office, than he seeks forth- 
with a place for some relative or depend- 



^^ASHINGTON. 



201 



ant. If there be any vacancy, this creature 
fills it ; if there be no vacancy, the new 
head of department creates a vacancy and 
puts his creature in it. When any secre- 
tary leaves his office, he endeavors to Veeip 
his dependant still on the list of office hol- 
ders. James Madison Porter left three re- 
latives in offices, two Porters and a Wolf. 
These secretaries being changed very often 
of late years, renders the tenure o[ office 
very uncertain, very precarious. In look- 
ing back on the last few years, we see 
changes of heads of department so frequent 
as to render it almost ludicrous for a secre- 
tary to undertake to get personally ac- 
quainted with his clerks, before he goes 
back into private life again. Why is it the 
ambition of any man in this country to be 
a secretary or a head of department ? And 
yet, it is evident enough that those who fill 
these stations, think highly of them — their 
gait, their air and address prove this, Look- 
ed these gentlemen on their stations, as 
the whole nation does, these offices would 



202 



WASHINGTON. 



not be coveted at all. Such men as CaU 
houn are exceptions, because they act as if 
they knew what they were doing and felt 
all their responsibility and all the cares of 
office. In his manners and industry Mr. 
Calhoun naturally reminds one of old times, 
when men in high stations were beloved 
by all who had any business to transact 
with them. From all I see and hear, I 
doubt whether the frequent changes in our 
highest officers operate beneficially on the 
public interest. However, if the chief 
clerks are not changed, perhaps, the head 
of the department being often changed does 
no great harm, because the chief clerk is in 
reality the head of department. M'Clin- 
tock Young has been in reality the secre- 
tary of the treasury for four years past. 
Without him every thing would have gone 
to ruin, long ago, in the department over 
which he presides. 

Former presidents, from Jefferson down- 
ward, used to visit the rooms of clerks and 
inspect the offices very often, but his Excel* 



I 



WASHINGTON. 



203 



lency John Tyler is not so hard on clerks 
and heads of bureaus. He never visits 
them — at least I have not seen him on any 
such tours of duty. General Jackson has 
often gone with me to the rooms of secre- 
taries and clerks, to inspect their books and 
to ascertain how they kept their accounts. 
Having doubled and trebled the force in 
the offices, renders such tours of inspec- 
tion unnecessary, in order to do all the bu- 
siness of the several departments faithfully, 
correctly and well. Two families hold four 
clerkships each ; so I hear from an authen- 
tic source. 

Should any citizen of the United States 
wish to know exactly what is done with 
every cent of Uncle Sam's money, let him 
call on Thomas L. Smith, the register of 
the treasury, and he can there see it at a 
glance. Maj. Smith holds the purse strings. 
If any one wishes to see models of all the 
light-houses in the world, let him call on 
Mr. Pleasanton in the state department and 
there he will find them, and a perfect gen- 



204 



WASHINGTON. 



tleman to explain every thing that relates 
to these light-houses. If any one wishes to 
see all the books, for which American auth- 
ors claim a copy-right, let him call on the 
Messrs. Winder and Carroll in the state de- 
partment, and he will find the books, and 
the gentlemen in whom Judge Upshur most 
confided, as his confidential clerks. Mr. 
Calhoun will extend to them the same con- 
fidence as Judge Upshur did. The former 
is the son of General Winder and the latter 
is the descendant of Daniel Carrol of Dud- 
dington, a signer of the declaration of inde- 
pendence. 

To those who visit the city from a dis- 
tance, local information may be useful, and 
we give such as we suppose may be of ser- 
vice to them. If the stranger wish to tarry 
only a few days, having no business but to 
see the city, perhaps Brown's or Gadsby's 
will best suit him ; but if his business be 
with Congress, capitol hill will best suit 
him, and he can put up with Mrs. Ballard, 
Mrs. Owner, Mrs, Hill or some other kee- 



WASHINGTON. 



205 



per of a boarding house — Mrs. Whitney for 
instance. I prefer Mrs. Ballard's, although 
the others are all good houses, with good 
accomodations. If the stranger's business 
is with the departments, he can stop at Ful- 
ler's, or Mrs. Galabrun's on the avenue, or 
Butler's on F street, or Mrs. Tilley's on 
Tenth, near the avenue. But there are a 
hundred other boarding houses, as good as 
need be, such as Mrs. Hamilton's, Miss 
Polk's, Mrs. Arguelles' and a long list of 
good houses. Five thousand persons can 
be well accommodated in Washington city. 
For the size of it, this has more and better 
accomodations for travellers, than any other 
city with which I am personally acquainted. 
I prefer it to any other east of the Allegha- 
nies, but until the late riots, Philadelphia 
stood highest with me. It may be owing 
to my long acquaintance with this to me 
delightful city, that I prefer it. 

However much we may loathe occasional 
loafers, who come here, and quite too many 
of them do come here, yet the people them- 
13 



206 



Washington. 



selves are as good as the people of any oth- 
er section of the Union. As a whole, they 
are more polished in their manners than 
any other people in the confederacy. Trust- 
ing to the constitution itself, in accordance 
with which, and the laws made under its 
express provisions, tliis district was selected 
for the PERMANENT Seat of government, 
many persons settled here, and fixed on the 
District "of Columbia as their permanent re- 
sidence. Their all is here, their families 
and their whole fortunes. Until the seat 
of government was fixed here, it never had 
been fixed permanently any where. Those 
who had the power delegated to them, hav- 
ing expended all the power over the sub- 
ject, that ever was delegated to any per- 
sons to ^yi. on the site of the general gov- 
ernment, no power to change it, remains in 
the constitution. That vast regions have 
been acquired and added to the Union, 
without a particle of constitutional authori- 
ty for the acquisition or addition to the ori- 
ginal States, is true ; but that fact cannot 



Washington. 



207 



change the constitution itself, so far as a 
permanent seat of government is concerned 
in the question. 

However, let us change this serious sub- 
ject for one serio-comic. We have heard 
of two maniacs to-day— monomaniacs. One 
of them seriously believes himself in para- 
dise ! and the other believes that he will 
be the next president! Paradise was a 
place of innocense, the abode of happiness, 
a bed of roses, but the presidency is a bed 
of thorns. Reposing on such a bed, who 
could sing, with Thomas Moore, 

'• Will you come to the bower I have shaded for you, 
Where your bed shall be roses bespangled with dew ?" 

We hear to-day also, that a monomaniac, 
another one altogether, thinks that ii^ he 
can get a certain man elected president in 
1844, he, the maniac, will be elected pre- 
sident in 1848! Still other maniacs ex- 
pect to be foreign ministers! What strange 
delusions in this deluded and deluding 
world are all these vagaries of the brain ? 
Shall we call in Dr. Mayo, or shall we im- 



208 



WASHINGTON. 



port forthwith all the helebore which both 
the Anticyras produce and administer it all 
to these afflicted patients l or what shall 
we do to restore these men to a sound 
state of mind? Who can calculate the 
chances of the next election ? We cannot 
tell by 400,000 individual votes, and we 
suppose we know just as much about it as 
the voters themselves do at this moment. 

Sanguine politicians think they know, 
but they do not know more than we do, 
whose minds are not made up yet wiiat we 
shall do, or how we shall vote — perhaps, 
not at all this autumn. Instead of '^a light 
house of the skies" and buildings for ^^storm 
kings," telegraphs, &c. &c. why not appro- 
priate money for a lunatic asylum of such 
large dimensions that it could accommo- 
date thousands who come here with their 
humbugs of all sorts, asking for national aid 
and support ? 

Perhaps we ought to have added a chap- 
ter on Humbugs, in addition to our Myste- 
ries, of this city. Kind reader, it is too 



WASHINGTON 



209 



late now for such a chapter, our whole 
little volume being all filled up and nearly 
all its contents are already printed. 



LOCAL INFORMATION. 

Meeting of Courts, 

Supreme Court of the United States, se- 
cond Monday in January, 

Circuit Court of the District of Columbia 
for Washington county, fourth Monday of 
March, and fourth Monday of November. 

Circuit Court of the District of Columbia 
for Alexandria county, first Monday in May 
and first Monday in October. 

Criminal Court of the District of Colum- 
bia for Washington county, second Monday 
of March, first Monday of June, fourth Mon- 
day of October, and last Monday of De- 
cember. 

Criminal Court of the District of Colum- 
bia for Alexandria county, first Monday of 
April, and first Monday of November. 



210 



WASHINGTON. 



Banks. 

Bank of Washington— corner of Louisia- 
na avenue and D street — discount day, 
Tuesday, Wm. Gunton, President; James 
Adams, Cashier. 

Bank of the Metropolis — Pennsylvania 
avenue, between F and G streets, opposite 
the Treasury Dej)artment — discount day, 
Friday, John P. Van Ness, President, Rich- 
ard Smith, Cashier. 

Patriotic Bank — 7th street, between C 
and D streets — discount day, Thursday, G. 
C. Grammer, President; Chauncy Bestor, 
Cashier. 

Insurance Offices. 

Firemen's Insurance Company of George- 
town and Washington — office in the Hall of 
the Perseverance Fire Company's building, 
Centre Market Square. Jas. Adams, Pre- 
sident; Alex. Mclntyre, Secretary. 

Franklin Insurance Company — office cor- 
ner of 7th and D streets, next door to the 
Patriotic Bank. G. C. Grammer, President; 
Alex. Mclntyre, Secretary, ^ 



WASHINGTON, Q I 1 

Potomac Fire Insurance Company — office 
on Bridge street, Georgetown. John Kurtz, 
President ; Henry King, Secretary. 
Churches. 

Baptist, Rev. 0. B. Brown, 10th street, 
between E and F. 

Baptist, Rev. Mr. Samson, Aldermen's 
room, city hall. 

Baptist, Rev. Mr. Tindell, corner of 4th 
street and Virginia avenue. 

Baptist, Shiloh, Elder Robert C. Leach- 
man, on Virginia avenue, near 42 street. 

Catholic, St. Patrick's, Rev. Mr. Math- 
ews, F street, between 9th and 10th. 

Catholic, St. Matthews, Rev. J. P. Done- 
Ian, corner of H and 15th streets. 

Catholic, St. Peter's, Rev. Mr. Van Hor- 
seigh, 2d street, between C and D, Capitol 

Hill. 

Friends, 1 street, between 18th and 19th. 

Lutheran, English, Rev. Dr. Muller, City 
hall. 

Lutheran, German, Rev. Ad. Biewend, 
corner of G and 20th streets. 



212 



WASHINGTON. 



Methodist Ebenezer, Rev. Messrs. Phelps 
and Hanson, 4th street, between F and G, 
navy yard. 

Methodist Foundry, Rev. Mr. Tarring, 
corner of 4th and G streets. 

Methodist Wesley, Rev. Mr. Wilson, cor- 
ner of F and 5th streets. 

Methodist Protestant, Rev. Mr. Souther- 
land, 9th street, between E and F. 

Methodist Protestant, Rev. Thomas M. 
Flint, pastor, 6th street east, between G 
and I streets south, near navy yard. 

New Jerusalem, Council chamber. City 
hall. 

Presbyterian, Rev. Dr. Laurie, F street, 
betw^een 14th and 15th. 

1st Presbyterian, Rev. Mr. Sprole, 41 st. 
between C and D. 

2d Presbeterian, Rev. Mr. Knox, corner 
of H street and New-York avenue. 

3d Presbyterian church, on F, between 
14th and 15th streets, near the Treasury 
Department. Pastor, Rev. Dr. Laurie ; As- 
sistant Pastor, Rev. Septimus Tuston. 



WASHINGTON. 



213 



4tli Presbyterian, Rev. J. C. Smith, 9th 
street, between Gand H. 

Christ, Episcopal, Rev. Mr. Bean, G st. 
between 6th and 7th, navy yard. 

St. John's, Episcopal, Rev. Dr. Hawiey, 
corner of 16th and H streets. 

Trinity, Episcopal, Rev. Mr. Stringfel- 
low, 5th street, between Louisiana avenue 
and E street. 

Protestant Episcopal Mission, Rev. Mr. 
French, Apollo hall. 

Unitarian, Rev. Mr. Bulfinch, corner of D 
and 6th streets. 

Circulating Libraries. 

Washington Library — room on 11th st. 
between Pennsylvania avenue and D street; 
open daily from 3 to 5 o'clock, P. M. 

Jefferson Apprentices' Library Associa- 
tiation — room west wing City hall ; open 
every Wednesday and Saturday evenings, 
from 6 t 9 P. M. 

Fire Companies. 

Union — located at the corner of H and 
20th streets ; W. B. Magruder, President ; 
Charles Calvert, Secretary. 



214 WASHINGTON. 

Franklin — located on 14th street, near 
Pennsylvania Avenue; regular night of 
meeting the first Tuesday in every month. 
Robert Coltman, President; WiUiam Durr, 
Secretary. 

Perseverance — located on Pennsylvania 
avenue, Centre market square ; regular 
night of meeting, the first Thursday in eve- 
ry month. Samuel Bacon, President ; Geo. 
S. Gideon, Secretary. 

Northern Liberties — located on the cor- 
ner of Massachusetts avenue and 8th street; 
regular night of meeting, the first Wednes- 
day in every month. John Y. Bryant, Pre- 
sident ; Augustus Brown, Secretary. 

Island — located on Maryland avenue, be- 
tween 10th and 11th streets; regular night 
of meeting, the first Thursday in every 
month. William Lloyd, President; William 
T. Doniphan, Secretary. 

Columbia — located on South Capitol St., 
near the Capitol ; regular night of meeting, 
the first Thursday in every month. James 
Adams, President ; R. Bright, Secretary. 



WASHINGTON. 



215 



Anacostia — located on Virginia avenue 
and L street south; regular night of meet- 
ing, the first Friday in every month. Thos, 
Thornley, President ; Wm. Gordon, Sec'y. 
Armories. 

Washington Light Infantry — west wing* 
City hall ; regular night of meeting, the 
first Monday in every month. 

National Blues — east wing City hall ; re- 
gular night of meeting, the first Monday in 
every month. 

Columbian Artillery— west wing City 
hall; regular night of meeting,, the first 
Tuesday in every month. 

Union Guards — ^hall of the Union engine 
house ; regular night of meeting, the first 
Wednesday in every month. 
Masonic. 

Federal Lodge No. L — room corner of 
12th street and Pennsylvania avenue ; re- 
gular night of meeting, first Monday in eve- 
ry month, 

Potomac Lodge, No. 5, Georgetown — 
room in Bridge street, opposite Union ho- 



216 



WASHINGTON. 



tel ; regular night of meeting, fourth Fri- 
day in every month. 

Lebanon Lodge, No. 7 — room corner of 
12th street and Pennsylvania avenue; re- 
gular night of meeting, first Friday in every 
month. 

New Jerusalem Lodge, No. 9 — room cor- 
ner of 4^ street and Pennsylvania avenue; 
meets on third Tuesday in every month. 

Hiram Lodge, No. 10 — room over West 
market, first ward; regular meeting, first 
Wednesday in every month. 

Grand Lodge of District of Columbia — 
annual communication first Tuesday in No- 
vember, semi-annual, first Tuesday in May. 
Installation meeting, St. John's day. 
L 0. 0. F. 

Central Lodge, No. 1 — room City hall; 
night of regular meeting, Friday. 

Washington Lodge, No. 6 — room City 
hall ; night of regular meeting, Tuesday. 

Eastern Lodge, No. 7 — at present occu- 
pying a room in Masonic hall, navy yard ; 
night of regular meeting, Friday. 



WASHINGTON. 



217 



Potomac Lodge, No. 8 — Odd Fellows' 
hall, Alexandria; regular night of meeting, 
Friday. 

Harmony Lodge, No. 10 — room City hall; 
regular night of meeting, Thursday. 

Union Lodge No. 11 — Odd Fellows hall, 
navy yard ; regular night of meeting, Wed- 
nesday. 

Friendship Lodge, No. 12— room over 
West market, first ward ; night of regular 
meeting, Thursday. 

Covenant Lodge, No. 13— Odd Fellows 
hall, Jefferson street, Georgetown; regular 
night of meeting, Monday. 

Columbian Encampment, No. 1 — room 
City hall; regular night of meeting, last 
Wednesday in every month. 

Pvlarley Encampment, No. 2 — Odd Fel- 
lows' hall, Alexandria; regular nights of 
meeting, second and fourth Mondays in eve- 
ry month. 

Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia 
meets annually on the second Monday in 
November, and quarterly on the second 
Mondays of January, April, July and Oct. 



f^^Q^ WASHINGTON. 

Sons of Temperance. 

Timothy Division, No. 1— room Bucking- 
ham's hall, on C street, between 10th and 
1 1th ; night of meeting, Wednesday. 

Harmony Division, No. 2 — room St, 
Asaph street, Alexandria ; night of regular 

meeting, Monday. 

Freemen's Vigilant — room Carusi's sa- 
loon; regular night of meeting, Friday. 
Beneficial Society. 

Island Beneficial Society of the city of 

Washington— night of regular meeting, the 

first Thursday in every month. John W. 

Martin, President ; W. T. Doniphan, Sec'y. 

Typographical Society. 

Columbia Typographical Society— Buck- 
ingham's room, on C street, opposite Caru- 
si's Saloon. Regular night of meeting, first 
Saturday in every month; President, Fer- 
dinand Jefferson; Recording Secretary, 
James Wimer; Corresponding Secretary, 

James N. Davis. 

The studio of C. B. King is on 12th street 
between E and F streets. 



EHRATA. 

On page 73, for John H. read John S. 
Meehan. 

On page 119 for Sellons read Selden's re- 
fectonj. 

On page 124 for a statue of Marshall, 
read a hist of Mr. Jefferson, resting 8fc, 

On page 145 for Zephur, read Zephyr. 

On page 163 read ^rihe higher, strike 
higher, Oh ! strike higher ! 

There are a few literal errors which the 
reader will correct as he reads the work. 



LBJe?9 



i 



